
(lis* P3 &S Oft 

Book Jl±&~ 



COPYRJGHT DEPOSIT. 



PAUL, HERO AND SAINT 



Ullbll ©bstat: 

ARTHUR J. SCANLAN, S.T.D. 
Censor Librorum 



Imprimatur: 

+ PATRICK J. HAYES, D. D. 
Archbishop ofNe*w York 



New York, August yth, 1921. 



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irill 







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....... \l: 



(Frontispiece) 



Fra Bartolomeo 



ST. PAUL 



Paul, Hero and Saint 



cAn cApostolic Story of %)man ^Battles 
and Catholic 'Victories 



<By LEO GREGORY FINK 

Priest of the Philadelphia Archdiocese 



"God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross 
of Our Lord Jesus Christ." — Galatians VI- 1 4. 



NEW YORK 

THE PAULIST PRESS 

120 West 60th Street 
1921 



y> 



hz soS 



Copyright, 1921, by "The Missionary Society of 

St. Paul the Apostle in the State 

of New York" 



DEC -7 '21 



§>GU627983 



INTRODUCTION. 



Some great men bear a message to a few of their 
own land or of their own time. Others live on from 
age to age in the minds of a select number who 
choose a sphere in life like to that of their inspirer. 
But there are also great men who, in their appeal, 
partake of the character of universality: they speak 
to many of their own day and they speak likewise to 
many of all times. Of this last type, beyond all 
doubt, is St. Paul. 

Books on St. Paul are not a novelty. This book 
on St. Paul is a novelty. It employs its own pecu- 
liar method of presentation; it has its special appli- 
cation to the conditions of the present day; it con- 
tains its definite appeal, the appeal of the hero to the 
youth of our time. 

In the narrative, as it runs from the day of the 
persecution of Stephen, the author relies exclusively 
upon history and the Scriptures; but in the delinea- 
tion of the boyhood and youth of our hero, he can- 
didly mingles history with what is semi-historical 
and, in some instances, legendary. The man, soldier 
and saint, must have been such a boy as is here de- 
scribed; and the features of the mature apostle are 
the clearer for this preliminary picture. 

v 



vi Introduction 

Paul was a prominent figure in the making of the 
Christian world. The young are called today to the 
re-making of that world. The conditions they meet 
with now are frequently similar to those that pre- 
vailed when the Apostle of the Gentiles, (( having on 
the breastplate of faith and charity" invaded the 
cities of the Mediterranean. 

These conditions imply the need of the missionary. 
Yet the book is done not only for those who will follow 
Paul into the priesthood, but for all the young of the 
laity as well. His story and his inspiration, his faith, 
his zeal, his courage, his love of the things of Christ, 
are all elements quite neccessary in the individual 
and social mission of the laity, a mission that is, to- 
day more than ever, apparent and extensive. 

Yet the peculiar and complete appeal of the book 
must correspond with the hero's character in its 
wholeness. He was the consecrated missionary. 
Christ and the Church need today the missionary 
priest who will put on, as Paul did, the armor of 
faith, of sacrifice, of knowledge, and go forth to 
preach Christ and Him Crucified. As soldiers we 
went forth to fight for our country. We should go 
forth as citizens and priests of the Kingdom to ex- 
tend the reign of the King upon earth. 

The exemplar missionary is St. Paul. He is a hero. 
But he is God's hero; and being such he contains in 
himself the secret of all successful work for God and 
for man. That secret is the one revealed in the In- 
carnation, that the Son of God emptied Himself be- 
coming the servant of us all. Paul emptied himself. 



Introduction vii 

So must we. The world demands service, boasts of 
service, and exalts it. The highest service to which 
it will bow in reverence, as it has in the past, is the 
self -sacrifice of the missionary priest. This secures 
the greatest good for men, their happiness here and 
their happiness hereafter. This also gives the fullest 
life to the individual. Emptying himself, he will be 
fdled with the perfect manhood of Christ; losing him- 
self, he will find his greatest self. Our Blessed Lord 
calls today. Mayhap He calls to many through the 
pages of this book, the product of a priestly mind and 
a missionary heart. For each of us there is a road 
to Damascus, and in that hour when our eyes are 
opened and our tongue is loosed, and we ask: What 
wilt Thou have me do? the unmistakable answer will 
be given. 

Thomas F. Burke, 

Superior-General of the Paulist Fathers. 



ATTENTION! SOLDIERS OF CHRIST! 

This story is not a sermon. It is the humble ef- 
fort of an ardent admirer of St. Paul to portray his 
hero along lines of instructive entertainment. It 
was planned amid the activities of the military life 
and written in the study hours of the missionary life. 
It is a book of "good news" and a work of "good 
cheer," especially written for young folks, but can 
be read and appreciated by the older folks who have 
not lost the spirit of youth and are interested in the 
Hero and Saint of the Army of Christ. 

In other words, if you wish to meet St. Paul face 
to face, and desire to have a heart to heart talk with 
him, then you are a friend of the author who wishes 
to tell you the "Apostolic Story of Roman Battles and 
Catholic Victories," in which we shall learn to love 
our enemy and our friend — Saul the virulent perse- 
cutor and Paul the zealous convert of the Roman 
Catholic Church. 

Although these pages may often contain certain 
interesting and established facts concerning the first 
"Followers of Christ," nevertheless, the sole purpose 
of the story is not to tell you that the Church of Jesus 
Christ and St. Paul is identical with the Roman Cath- 
olic Church of today. No! Another motive under- 
lies this work, namely, to bring a message to your 
heart concerning your Apostolate in the Army of 
Christ! 



x Attention! Soldiers of Christ) 

From the pines of Maine to the oaks of Oregon, 
and from the land of flowers to the city of angels, 
the Home Missionary Forces are steadily advancing, 
while the Expeditionary Missionary Forces have ex- 
tended their triumphs from the blood-stained battle- 
fields of France to the virgin soil of the Philippine 
Islands. Our valiant Army is led forward by its 
noble and self-sacrificing Generals — the American 
Hierarchy. From Rome, Our Commander-in-Chief, 
Pope Benedict XV., summons his brave legions to the 
Foreign Missionary conquests of Africa, Indo-China 
and Japan. From Heaven, Our Divine Leader, Jesus 
Christ, calls every Catholic to a certain sector of Life's 
battlefield. We are all members of Christ's victorious 
Army — the Roman Catholic Church. May you hear 
your "call to arms" — your vocation in Life. May 
your obedient service be heroic unto death! 

All the world is afire with the spirit of Catholicism ! 
All the world has come under the power of the Sign 
of the Cross ! All the world has been renewed by the 
heroic and invincible spirit of St. Paul, the Herald of 
Catholic Extension and the Pioneer for the Propa- 
gation of Our Faith! May the religious zeal, the 
patriotic spirit, and the unconquerable character of 
St. Paul inspire you to become another Paul! an- 
other hero ! another saint in the triumphant Army of 
Christ! 

This story was written for You! 

Leo Gregory Fink. 

Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, 

Church of St. Bartholomew, 

Brockton, Penna. — 1921. 



CONTENTS 

CHAPTER I 
Home, Sweet Home • 1 

CHAPTER II 
School Days at Tarsus 7 

CHAPTER III 
Silver-Lined Clouds 13 

CHAPTER IV 
At College in Jerusalem 20 

CHAPTER V 
Learning the Trade of Tent-Making ... 26 

CHAPTER VI 
The Divine Leader and His Army .... 31 

CHAPTER VII 

"Stone Him to Death !" 38 

xi 



xii Contents 

CHAPTER VIII 
The Steel Sword of Damascus 45 

CHAPTER IX 
On the Street Called "Straight" .... 50 

CHAPTER X 
The Escape in a Basket 56 

CHAPTER XI 
"Don't Trust the Convert!" 62 

CHAPTER XII 
The Starving Catholics in Jerusalem . . 68 

CHAPTER XIII 
Ready for Overseas Work 76 

CHAPTER XIV 
When "Saul" Became "Paul" 81 

CHAPTER XV 
"I Want to go Home" 86 



Contents xiii 

CHAPTER XVI 
The Cripple at Lystra 92 

CHAPTER XVII 
The Commander-in-Chief Speaks 99 

CHAPTER XVIII 
Doctor Luke 107 

CHAPTER XIX 
Paul's First Convert in Europe! 114 

CHAPTER XX 
The Singing Prisoners of Philippi .... 120 

CHAPTER XXI 
Teaching the Learned Men of Athens . . 127 

CHAPTER XXII 
The Beautiful Evil-City of Corinth . . . 134 

CHAPTER XXIII 
Burning Bad Books *.•... 142 



xiv Contents 

CHAPTER XXIV 
The Idol-Makers' Strike at Ephesus . . . 149 

CHAPTER XXV 
The Ambassador 159 

CHAPTER XXVI 
Unsatisfied But Not Dissatisfied .... 164 

CHAPTER XXVII 

The Stenographer's Masterpiece .... 169 

CHAPTER XXVIII 
Asleep During the Sermon ....... 176 

CHAPTER XXIX 
The Midnight Ride on Horseback .... 183 

CHAPTER XXX 
"I Appeal to Cesar!" 191 

CHAPTER XXXI 
Shipwrecked! 197 

CHAPTER XXXII 
Paul the Hero Enters Rome 205 



Contents 



xv 



CHAPTER XXXIII 
"The Beast of Rome" 213 

CHAPTER XXXIV 
The Blood-Stained Sword of Victory ! . . . 222 



To Arms 228 

Chronology 229 

Bibliography 230 

ILLUSTRATIONS 

St. Paul Fra Bartolomeo 

Stoning of Stephen to Death Fra Angelico 

Conversion of Saul on Road' to Damascus. .Raphael 

Escape from Damascus P. Priolo 

The Sacrifice at Lystra Raphael 

Burning the Bad Books of Ephesus Dore 

The Shipwreck Dore 

Paul's Martyrdom Robert Reid 

Map of St. Paul's Journeys 



PAUL, HERO AND SAINT 



CHAPTER I 
Home, Sweet Home 

"Overseas service?" Yes! we are going overseas 
in the service of our God and our Country! Our 
ship is ready, and with the last reader aboard, we 
are off ! Farewell ! ! We are leaving New York, and 
our course will be over the Atlantic Ocean's waves. 
Keep your eyes on the map and you will never lose 
interest in our historical expedition. We are going 
to the "Home, Sweet Home" of our hero. 

Our ship rushes onward over the bounding bil- 
lows. After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, we are 
about to sail through a narrow passage-way between 
two lands. Look toward the east. We are passing 
through the Strait of Gibraltar. To your left you 
see the Rock of Gibraltar, while to your right you 
behold the northern coast of Africa. Having passed 
through this strait, we are now sailing upon the 
placid waters of the Mediterranean Sea. On we go! 
To our left, that is to the north, we pass Spain, 
France, Italy, and Greece. After passing a few is- 
lands, we suddenly turn toward the north and glide 
past Cyprus. Look at your map. Now we sail 



2 Paul, Hero and Saint 

straight to the north until we come to the coast of 
the country called "Asia Minor." Here we find a 
large river pouring its waters into the Mediterranean 
Sea; and, steering our boat up the river, we go for- 
ward for twelve miles until the little town of Tarsus 
is reached. What about Tarsus? Why stop here? 
We are going ashore. This is the place where, eight 
years before the birth of Jesus Christ, our hero was 
born. 

If you have been wide-awake and have been look- 
ing around, you will have observed that to the north 
there is a great, long and snow-capped mountain 
stretching from east to west. Between this moun- 
tain and the sea, there is a fertile plain through 
which runs the river we have just sailed upon. The 
mountain is called "The Taurus;" the river is "The 
Cnidus;" the plain is termed "Cilicia;" and the town, 
of course, is "Tarsus," the "Home, Sweet Home" of 
"the one desired" or "the one prayed for" — the boy 
Saul. 

Did you ever hear your mother sing "There's no 
place like Home, Sweet Home?" Well, even if your 
mother never sang the song, nevertheless, you might 
sometime in life utter such words, because you know 
that your home is the brightest place upon earth for 
you. Just as you think a great deal of your home, 
so also did Saul highly esteem his home at Tarsus. 
Tarsus was a very busy city. It had many schools 
and colleges, and as far as educational advantages 
were concerned, it was indeed a rival of Athens and 
Alexandria. There were also many business places 



Home, Sweet Home 3 

called "marts" or markets, to which the farmers and 
merchants came in order to purchase and dispose of 
their produce and merchandise. Large consign- 
ments of goods were shipped by boat to Greece and 
Italy, and foreign vessels brought many valuable 
things and much money to Tarsus. 

The capital of the whole Roman Empire was 
Rome, and the capital of the Roman province of 
Cilicia was Tarsus. A governor ruled over the prov- 
ince, while the Emperor Augustus Caesar swayed his 
sceptre over the whole empire. Although subject to 
the laws of Rome, Tarsus was given many privileges 
which made it a "free city." As in every city there 
are many kinds of people, Tarsus also had many 
kinds and classes of people; some were real citizens; 
some were foreigners; and others were visitors from 
distant cities. Saul's father was neither a foreigner 
nor a visitor. He was a real citizen of Tarsus, and 
was called a "Roman citizen." The fact that Saul 
was born a "Roman citizen" was always pleasing to 
him, not because of the protection which that title 
afforded him, but because he loved his country. 
Saul was a real patriot ! 

In addition to these facts, there is also another 
important thing to be remembered. Saul was a Jew- 
ish boy. His parents, we are told, moved many 
years before his birth from Palestine to Tarsus, and 
brought with them the religion of the true God. The 
inhabitants of Tarsus were mostly Greeks and Ro- 
mans, who were commonly known to Saul as "the 
Gentiles." These people were also called "pagans;" 



4 Paul, Hero and Saint 

they worshipped a great number of so-called "gods;" 
they prayed, made vows, and offered sacrifices in the 
beautiful marble temples, or practised their super- 
stitions in the silent groves of the mountains. The 
majority of the people spoke either the Greek or the 
Latin language, and thus in mingling with the Gen- 
tiles, Saul found it an easy matter to acquire a speak- 
ing knowledge of the Greek and Latin languages. 
Although Saul respected the Hebrew language as the 
prized treasure of the Jewish Church and his in- 
heritance from his good parents, nevertheless, at a 
very tender age, he also acquired a thorough knowl- 
edge of the Greek language. His reason for studying 
Greek was apparent. Saul realized the practical ne- 
cessity of being able to explain his religion to the 
Gentiles; he wished to become a progressive citizen 
of a Greek city; and he showed his religious and 
patriotic spirit by mastering the language of the 
country in which he lived. 

Saul's boyhood days were not wasted upon trifles 
and playthings. No! Saul was well-trained that 
some day he might become a great hero. His good 
father and mother taught him his first lessons in 
reading, writing, and arithmetic; this was done in 
the privacy of their little home. However, in addi- 
tion to the "three r's," there was another "r," and 
that was "religion," which was better known to Saul 
as his "Catechism." This fourth "r" Saul studied 
every evening; his father was his teacher. From the 
good book called "The Holy Bible," the daily and 
Sabbath prayers were studied. When Saul knelt 



Home, Sweet Home 5 

down to pray, he used the "Psalter" or Prayer Book 
of the Shepherd-King David. As David once sang 
and prayed for the mighty King Saul, so, too, did the 
boy Saul imitate David by singing and praising the 
"King of Glory; the Lord Who is strong and mighty; 
the Lord mighty in battles." 

"O God, come to my assistance; 

Lord, make haste to help mel 

Let all that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee 
And let such as love Thy salvation, say always : 
"The Lord be magnified/ 

1 am needy and poor; O God, help me. 
Thou art my Helper and my Deliverer 

O Lord! make no delay!" 

Saul repeated this prayer very often. God was to 
him a Good Shepherd, Who led his flocks of sheep 
through green pastures and protected them from all 
dangers. He realized that he could trust in God, for 
God was his Protector; more than this, he knew that 
God was his Creator and the Creator of the whole 
world. He studied the lessons in the "good book," 
and soon learnt how God made the first man and 
woman, and how they through disobedience brought 
sin into the world. In the writings of the Prophets 
it was easy to find the promises of God to send a 
Messiah, Who was to redeem the whole world; this 
Messiah was, indeed, to be a Good Shepherd, Who 
would seek for the lost sheep as well as care for the 
good sheep of His Church. He would be like Joseph, 
a Saviour of His people in their trouble and suffer- 



6 Paul, Hero and Saint 

ing; He would release His people from the bondage 
of sin, as Moses once freed his people from the ty- 
rants of Egypt; He would be mighty and powerful 
as Samson the just Judge; He would build a Church, 
as David once built a great Tent for God; and this 
Saviour was to come into the world as a Child, for 
Whom all Israel was to watch and hope for, from 
"the morning watch even until night." 

Saul understood his Catechism. He not only knew 
the answers to the questions that his father asked 
him, but he understood them. He was not a mere 
parrot; he was a real boy who tried hard to under- 
stand the truths of his religion; and thus holding 
David the shepherd boy as his leader and greatest 
hero, he prayed aloud to God: 

"One thing I have asked of the Lord 
This will I seek after 

That I may dwell in the House of the Lord 
All the days of my life." 

Our hero felt that some day he would be another 
shepherd like David, and he, too, would be a "Tent- 
maker" for God. He was only a boy; he was only 
preparing for the battles of his future life; he was 
busily engaged in gathering the sharp stones of wis- 
dom in order to kill the giant. Who was the giant? 



CHAPTER II 
School Days at Tarsus 

What was the giant's name? Do you know? The 
giant that David fought and killed, through the clever 
use of five little stones from the Brook of Cedron, 
was Goliath. The giant that Saul was to meet was 
not Goliath, but a certain unseen monster-spirit, 
called "Ignorance ;" this spirit seemed to lead many 
people away from the true God; and since Saul 
wished to be like David, a soldier of the true God, he 
immediately prepared himself that he might be able 
to fight such an enemy. 

As a boy Saul played like any other real live-wide- 
awake-boy would play; he could always take care of 
himself; he romped about and entered all the games 
with his schoolmates; he was never a spectator, but 
always "running so as to win the race," he built up 
his body as God wishes every child to do through 
the proper use of physical exercise. He enjoyed the 
best of health and, although very small in stature, 
nevertheless, he was solid and sound and built like 
an oak tree "from the ground up;" he was not a 
heavyweight, but rather stocky and broad-shoul- 
dered; his disposition was pleasing, and he never 
looked on the dark side of life. When dangers faced 
him he was bravest; being a quick thinker, he always 
had "a ready answer," and was ever ready to fight 

7 



8 Paul, Hero and Saint 

his own battles. In other words, Saul could "help 
himself" and "assist others." 

David gathered five sharp stones from the brook 
as his ammunition. Goliath was a human giant, and 
could easily be found and seen with one's own eyes; 
but Saul's enemy, the giant-spirit, "Ignorance," could 
not be seen. He was invisible. How could Saul 
meet and attack his enemy? What kind of ammuni- 
tion did he require? He could never meet his enemy 
face to face, for "Ignorance" was a very sly and cun- 
ning spirit that attacked not the bodies of men but 
their minds; and thus left them as wounded soldiers 
upon the battlefield of Life. Saul knew that he must 
be "a fighting chaplain," who would be able to fight 
the enemy by healing the wounded hearts and souls 
of men, and bring to them the light of truth and the 
happiness of a good life. He required more than 
five stones; they had to be very sharp; and they were 
to be in Saul's possession at all times. 

David went to the 'Brook of Cedron for his ammu- 
nition. Saul went to the Parochial School for his 
ammunition. He did not pick up every "rolling 
stone" of so-called education. No! Saul was a son 
of a Pharisee or strict observer of the law; therefore, 
Saul was sent to the Jewish Parochial School, where 
from that fountain of Truth he acquired not only a 
knowledge of the world, but also learned a great deal 
about God and His true Church; he studied not only 
mathematics, history, geography, the Greek and He- 
brew languages, but also another very important 
book termed the "Catechism of Jewish Doctrine." 



School Days at Tarsus 9 

The work of gathering together ammunition for his 
battle with the spirit, "Ignorance," was indeed an 
arduous task; it meant constant and diligent activity 
to acquire Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Forti- 
tude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord — the 
seven precious stones which Saul was to use in his 
warfare against the unseen enemy. It meant work, 
work, work — that was just what Saul loved to do. 

While attending school Saul made many friends, 
but out of a vast number of boys, there was one 
named Barnabas, from the Island of Cyprus, with 
whom he formed a special friendship. It seems that 
Saul and Barnabas became bosom friends at first 
sight, and remained so throughout their early lives; 
like David and Jonathan, they seemed to be insepar- 
able; their ideals were much alike, for they realized 
the great need of teachers in their Church for the 
purpose of instructing the people and fighting against 
"Ignorance;'* hence, they both planned that, after 
their studies were completed at Tarsus, they would 
go down to Jerusalem and attend the university of 
the learned Professor Gamaliel. 

Jerusalem was the "Holy City." Saul and Barna- 
bas had heard a great deal about its wonders and its 
glory, from the lips of their fathers, who regularly 
attended the religious festivals, and hence the one 
ambition of the two schoolboys was to go to Jeru- 
salem. Tarsus was a Greek city, and therefore a 
heathen city. Although Saul's father was a Roman 
citizen, he was, nevertheless, a Jew who observed the 
strictest customs of his Church. Thus it happened 



10 Paul, Hero and Saint 

that Saul ofttimes felt like "a stranger in a strange 
land." His clothes were different from the Greek 
children's garments, and thus he could be easily 
picked out of any crowd as a Jewish boy. However, 
he was never ashamed of his nationality or of his re- 
ligion; he always boasted that he was a "Roman citi- 
zen," and he was ready to defend his religion at all 
times. God always gave him strength and confi- 
dence to hold fast to the "Faith of his Fathers." 

In his recreation periods, Saul often ran to the 
green forest on the slopes of Mount Taurus, and 
there watched the swift waters of the Cnidus River 
rushing on toward the sea. After completing his 
daily studies, he would often watch his father at 
work making tents; and, quite frequently, he also 
assisted his father, by assorting the long goat-hairs, 
which were later woven into tent-cloth, braided into 
ropes, and made into sails. Little by little, Saul thus 
learned the "fine points" of the trade of "tent- 
making." 

As all real boys love to see a circus, so did Saul. 
He went to the stadium, whenever the opportunity 
presented itself, to see "the greatest show on earth." 
There he saw young athletes running in the foot- 
races; strong men were wrestling and boxing; some 
"stars" were "putting the shot," while others were 
"throwing the disc;" some ambitious youths were 
vaulting over the bars; and then, not to forget the 
most important feature of the whole show, there 
were the chariot races. These events made the days 
gala and happy days for every boy, but especially for 



School Days at Tarsus 11 

the real boy — Saul. Kings and princes enjoyed the 
Greek games, but no one relished a Roman chariot 
race more than Saul did. 

The Roman chariot race! Yes! it was something 
indescribable! The maddened crowds shouted, 
while the applause filled every nook and corner of 
the vast hippodrome and re-echoed to the distant 
hills. The four companies of charioteers were pre- 
pared for the race, as their horses pawed the ground 
and anxiously awaited the signal, "Go!" The colors 
of the companies were green, red, white, and gray, 
all being symbolical of the seasons of the year. The 
green represented the verdure of spring; the red pic- 
tured the fire of the summer's sun; the white was a 
symbol of the hoar frost of autumn; and the gray 
represented the clouds of winter. Each color had its 
friends; one crowd cheered for the green, another for 
the red, and in this way the four colors had their 
cheer-leaders and followers. The dashing Arabian 
steeds tore up the course in their mad flight before 
the shouting multitudes; the reins were loosed; the 
whips cracked; and "hurrah! hurrah" away they 
went! The race was on! The crowds yelled madly 
as the chariots went flying around the course, and the 
clouds of dust arose and partly hid the contestants 
from view. Finally, they neared the goal post ! On ! 
On! On! The victor carried away the prize! 

In the afternoons, Saul often walked down to the 
wharf and watched the great boats come into dock. 
His only hopes were that some day he might be able 
to go across the sea to the university of Jerusalem. 



12 Paul, Hero and Saint 

The bundles and boxes, that were unloaded from the 
strange vessels, were very interesting. Some crates 
were marked "Rome," and many boxes were stenciled 
"Athens;" other bundles and boxes were labeled 
"Jerusalem." The word "Jerusalem" was a myste- 
rious word; it gave Saul a strange feeling that 
tempted him to stow himself away in the box or 
bundle, in order to go to the "Holy City." 

Saul was to go to the "Holy City." His father had 
provided for him, and had worked hard in order to 
save some money for his higher education. The 
days were fast approaching when he was "to sit at 
the feet of Gamaliel" in Jerusalem; preparations were 
indeed being made for the journey; and his school 
friend and inseparable companion, Barnabas, left for 
his home in Cyprus, with the self-same happy ambition 
in his heart. Before leaving, Barnabas told Saul to keep 
his eyes open, for he hoped to meet him in the uni- 
versity and remain his life-long friend. The future 
was to be a glorious one for both young men ! Saul 
was overjoyed and repeated those beautiful words 
of David: 

"Behold! how good and how pleasant it is 
For brothers to dwell together in unity I" 

The day for Saul's departure arrived. A letter 
came from Cyprus. It was addressed to our hero. 
Yes! it was good news! 

My Dear Friend: I shall see you in Jerusalem. 

Your true friend, Barnabas. 



CHAPTER III 

Silver-Lined Clouds 

An old-fashioned sailing vessel was being loaded 
with many boxes, crates, and bundles; a few passen- 
gers were to be taken along; and the captain had 
received his final orders that the boat was to sail 
from Tarsus to Caesarea. 

"Father! father! Is this our boat?" an excited 
voice exclaimed. 

"Keep your head on your shoulders, son, we have 
plenty of time." 

"But, father, see the sailors are taking away the 
long planks!" Saul was only a boy, but he had his 
eyes open. Indeed, the boat was about to sail; the 
stevedors had completed their work; the cables that 
lashed the boat to the piers were removed; and the 
boat was slowly gliding away from the wharf. Saul's 
heart seemed to drop to the very bottom of the river. 
His father was somewhat cool about the matter, and 
calmly told his little son not to get "too excited." 

"Well, son, I suppose we must wait for # the next 
boat." 

"The next boat! Father! That will take about a 
month or more!" the bright-eyed Saul immediately 
answered. 

13 



14 Paul, Hero and Saint 

"Well, what difference does it make, if it be one or 
two months later? Jerusalem will not run away. It 
will be there even after you and I are dead." 

Saul looked at his father. How different the old 
folks are! They never seem to take the same point 
of view as the young folks do ! Saul was indeed dis- 
appointed. 

"But, father, suppose the learned professor, Gama- 
liel, dies before I reach Jerusalem, what then?" 

"What then? Why, of course, someone else will 
be there to take Gamaliel's place. No matter how 
good or learned we may be, there is always someone 
else ready to step into our shoes, and possibly do 
better than we have done." Such was the cold 
philosophy or wisdom of a father who had seen 
trouble and had learned never to "worry about to- 
morrow," or never to "cross the bridge — before he 
came to it." 

"But, father, suppose — maybe — maybe — " 

"Son, May bees do not fly about in September." 

"But, father, I mean — you know Barnabas will ar- 
rive in Jerusalem ahead of me, and if he starts his 
studies before I do — you know? — " 

"Yes, I know — then you can just study a little 
overtime, and by degrees you will catch up to the 
rest of the class." It was another sample of the cold 
reasoning that Saul's father had always given his 
son. It was bitter medicine, but, as you well know, 
it is the bitter medicine that effects a sure cure. 
Sweet things taste good, but they are worth very 
little in curing a disease. Saul had been trained 



Silver-Lined Clouds 15 

along rigorous lines, and he realized that pleasing 
remarks and lofty praises seldom built a manly char- 
acter; he was going to be "a real man," who could 
bear all disappointments and sufferings like a sol- 
dier. It was hard for the father to train his son in 
this manner, but the old method of "bending the tree 
when it is young" was, after all, the best for the de- 
velopment of Saul's sturdy nature. If we go through 
life petted, pampered, and helped by everybody, we 
become very selfish, easily discouraged, and slothful. 
Saul was not going to be such a man who would live 
only for himself. No! Saul was going to take care 
of himself, and he was planning to give his whole 
life to the work of God's Church amongst men who 
could not take care of themselves. 

Saul and his father stood on the wharf watching 
the boat as it glided out into the mid-stream, and re- 
signed themselves to their fate of going home and 
waiting until the next boat's arrival. As they turned 
away to return to their home, the skies suddenly 
darkened and the wind came down from the moun- 
tains. The whole peaceful country was suddenly 
changed into a scene of violent destruction; for one 
of those unexpected storms had arisen, and made 
life unbearable for everybody both on land and sea. 
Saul and his father returned to their home, and there 
protected from the violence of the storm, they 
thanked God for having saved them from the dangers 
of the wild and raging seas. 

Saul walked down to the wharf the next morning, 
in order to see what damage the storm had done to 



16 Paul, Hero and Saint 

the piers; and to his surprise, he saw the very self- 
same boat that he thought was far out on the sea 
and possibly nearing its destination. You can easily 
imagine his joyful heart at seeing the boat in dock 
again. What was the trouble? The storm had been 
a most severe one, so severe that the boats putting 
out to sea had all fled terror-stricken back to their 
ports of safety. The boat for Caesarea came back to 
Tarsus; it was badly damaged in its course of a few 
miles down the River Cnidus, and hence, to the dis- 
appointment of its passengers, but to the joy of Saul, 
it was obliged to remain in port for at least five days 
to undergo repairs. 

"Five days and then Caesarea! and then — Jeru- 
salem!" Like a streak of lightning, Saul ran home 
and almost electrified his poor mother with his mes- 
sage of "good news." 

"Son, calm yourself!" his father called to the noisy 
Saul, as he saw his happy boy romping around the 
room with glee. 

"Father, do you not think that God is good to us?" 

"Yes, God is good; in fact, He is too good to us." 

"Just think of it. It seems as though the storm 
came in order to force the boat to return for us. God 
has wonderful ways of doing things! He is going 
to take me to Jerusalem," was the undoubted deci- 
sion of the young wise-man Saul. 

"Son, never forget — it's an ill wind that blows no 
good for some one," came back the mild reply. 

Saul was learning a great deal before he went to 
Jerusalem to attend college. In fact, the realization 



Silver-Lined Clouds 17 

of God's care over everybody, the use of common 
sense in taking things as they come, and the knowl- 
edge that every dark cloud has a silver lining, these 
ever-practical truths his strict father had taught him 
very well. Within the five days in which the boat 
was being repaired, Saul frequently visited the pier; 
he was not forward, but inquisitive enough to ask 
sensible questions, and thus he learned many things 
about boat-making, which, as we shall see later on, 
served him very well in the severe storms he en- 
countered at sea. In fact, Saul knew more about re- 
pairing a boat than many sailors did; his knowledge 
was obtained by watching others and by asking 
questions. 

At the end of five days the boat was completed; 
the repairs had been made and the passengers were 
again taken on board. This time two more passengers 
walked the deck of the boat as it glided out of the 
harbor of Tarsus. Slowly but surely the snowy tops 
of Mount Taurus began to melt away into the very 
clouds of heaven; the beautiful green pasture-lands 
seemed to join the brimming river; and, finally, the 
river broadened itself into the sea, upon which the 
boat of Saul was wafted by the strong winds towards 
the Holy Land. The next day Saul fully realized 
that he was upon the mighty deep. As he watched 
the big rolling waves with their deep troughs, he un- 
derstood how horrible it must have been, when Moses 
stretched forth his hand towards the sea, and the 
great waves rolled in upon the struggling soldiers, 
chariots, and cavalry of the Egyptians. He also re- 



18 Paul, Hero and Saint 

membered his Sabbath-school lessons, and knew that 
this vast ocean was made by God, when He gathered 
the waters together into one place and called them 
the "seas." The rolling billows were wonderful; yet, 
they were powerful enough to frighten any boy. 

"Look at the foaming waves, father," he once ex- 
claimed. 

"Son, the waves are only playing." 
"Father, do they ever roll over the ship?" 
"Yes, they not only roll over the ship, but they 
toss the ship about in a storm like a little cork. I 
hope a storm arises before we land at Caesarea." 

Saul partly wished to see a storm at sea, and then 
he partly preferred not to be tossed about like "a 
cork." Whilst thus talking and ever looking around 
with his eyes wide-open, he suddenly spied a group 
of white-capped mountains. The captain told Saul 
that these mountains were called the "Lebanon 
Mountains," and that from their slopes the great 
cedar trees were cut down and hauled to Jerusalem, 
for the building of the Temple of King Solomon. In 
a short time a green hill appeared; it stood erect, 
and was quite majestically crowned with a beautiful 
garland of flower-gardens. Everybody knew that its 
name was "Mount Carmel;" it was indeed a vision 
of beauty with the bright mirror of the sea clearly 
reflecting its glory ! At last the port of Caesarea was 
reached and Saul and his father came ashore; they 
stood upon ground that was made "holy" by God 
Himself; and they immediately proceeded towards 
Jerusalem — the Holy City. On horseback, they made 



Silver-Lined Clouds 19 

their way over a broad plain, where the lilies of the 
valley and the roses of Sharon were found aplenty. 
Having passed through this Valley of Sharon, they 
gradually made their ascent to the dust-covered and 
barren hills of Judea. Saul shouted with joy many 
times, as he often supposed that he was nearing the 
Holy City; but the distances in Palestine were very 
deceptive, and, what seemed to be only a few miles 
distant, often required hours of hard climbing over 
hills and along narrow and rough roads. 

The joy of his boyhood was soon at hand; the 
clouds of discipline were breaking; the silver-lining 
to every dark cloud's sorrow was appearing; the bur- 
den of his school days had vanished; the rigor of his 
religion seemed beneficial; the ridicule which he was 
made to bear from the Gentiles was forgotten; and 
the stern voice of his father was overflowing with 
gentleness. Saul was the happiest young man on 
earth! The silver-lined clouds of life were breaking, 
and he was soon to see "Jerusalem the Golden City." 



CHAPTER IV 
At College in Jerusalem 

Saul's horse had reached the highroad, and was 
making its way through a country that resembled a 
desert. Now and then, a wild fig tree appeared; 
then, finally, all plant life and even the moss-cov- 
ered rocks disappeared. Just one more hill to climb ! 
That was somewhat consoling to Saul, as the party 
began to ascend a dusty road covered with loose 
stones. It was "the home-stretch," and Saul's heart 
beat with joy at the thought that he was soon to en- 
ter the Holy City; he was soon to see the city that 
had been besieged so many times, destroyed once, 
and even had its strong walls leveled to the ground. 
It was the city which the High-Priest Melchisedech 
established in the year 2023 B. C, and which after- 
wards was governed by Jewish rulers, Egyptian mon- 
archs, and Assyrian princes, all of whom in turn had 
been dethroned. Saul knew that the city had been 
rebuilt, and under the rule of the Roman Caesar, it 
was said to be far more beautiful than before. 

Without a word of warning, the Arabian steed 
upon which Saul was riding, lifted its head and 
raised its ears as if in expectation of something on 
the road ahead. Saul soon realized what the in- 
creased speed meant. The summit had been reached, 
and as he sat there, he drew the reins tightly and 
gazed in bewilderment upon the scene before him. 

20 






At College in Jerusalem 21 

There was a long line of walls, flanked with square 
towers, and in the midst of all, like a monstrance of 
glory, the golden Temple seemed to send forth its 
benediction over all the world. There was no need 
of asking; he was sure that it was Jerusalem; he was 
positive it was the "Holy City." Filled with the 
happiness of heart that was only known to those 
who loved the Holy City, Saul dismounted from his 
horse, and walking into the city with his father, he 
repeated those beautiful words of the Psalmist 
David : 

"I rejoiced at the things that were said unto me! 
We shall go into the house of the Lord. 
Our feet were standing in thy courts, O Jerusalem I 
Jerusalem! which is built as a city. 
Let peace be in thy strength and abundance in thy 
towers." 

There was the beautiful Temple with its golden 
towers, the large porticos, the great marble stairway, 
and the massive columns; all this assured Saul that 
it was, indeed, the "House of God." Saul, being a 
Jew, was allowed to accompany his father to the 
Temple. There he saw the great crowds of wor- 
shippers, the white-robed priests, the busy Levites or 
altar-servers and sacristans, the High-Priests with 
their gorgeous robes and the mysterious colored 
stones upon their breasts, the strict Pharisees with 
their broad phylacteries or prayer-leaflets from the 
Bible, and the solemn and pious-looking Sadducees. 
He saw the Golden Gate and obtained a glimpse of 
the Court of Israel and the Court of the Gentiles. 



22 Paul, Hero and Saint 

Suddenly, the air was filled with the sounds of sweet 
music that seemed to descend from the Angel-choirs 
of Heaven; it was the Temple-choir that Saul heard; 
the songs that filled his soul with joy were none 
other than the Psalms, or beautiful prayer-hymns of 
David the Divine Poet. Hundreds of voices were 
pouring forth their sweetest harmonies in the service 
of God, and the youthful Saul was so enraptured, that 
his only desire was "to belong entirely to God." 

The visit to the Temple, you can well understand, 
must have been very short, for Saul's father knew 
that it was always better not to see everything at 
once, but to acquire a knowledge of holy things by 
degrees. A very important thing to do, was to se- 
cure a home for the young student; this the father 
did, by handing over Saul to his good sister, who 
ever since her marriage had lived in Jerusalem; thus 
Saul and his sister were brought together again. 
After this, the young student was registered at the 
university and the necessary arrangements were 
made with the learned Professor Gamaliel. What- 
ever the cost of education under such a learned and 
renowned man might have been, Saul's father was 
willing to make the sacrifice, that he might help his 
son to become a learned Rabbi. The father's part- 
ing words were a command; Saul never forgot them; 
they were words of good advice for all college stu- 
dents: "Son, fill the cistern of your mind with the 
waters of knowledge." 

Saul was not a dull scholar, hence, in a very short 
time the learned professor looked down at the boys 



At College in Jerusalem 23 

seated at his feet on the floor, and noticed that the 
smallest boy in the class was the biggest student of 
them all. Saul was small in body, but his soul was 
big; he worked like a giant; it was his business to 
conquer his lessons. You may ask, "What did Saul 
study?" and we must answer, "many things." In 
addition to a thorough study of Hebrew, Greek, and 
Latin, he studied the "Law of God," and learned how 
to explain the Scriptures and to interpret the Com- 
mandments of God and the Jewish Church. In the 
course of studies, the many Prophecies, concerning 
the coming of the Messiah, were thoroughly explained. 
The time, the place, and the manner in which the Re- 
deemer was to come into the world, were known to 
every student of the Bible. In a very short time 
Saul could explain to others, that a Little Child 
should lead them; that this Anointed One would per- 
form great wonders and miracles; that this Lord of 
all mankind should suffer and die, as David had 
foretold; and that by His ignominious death upon 
the cross, He should be the Saviour of all mankind. 
Ofttimes the professors would argue amongst them- 
selves about the coming of the Messiah; some de- 
sired that He would come as a powerful King; and 
others tried to picture Him as a great warrior. Saul 
listened attentively to all their wise sayings, which 
sometimes resulted in "word-fights." He could never 
understand why there should be so much trouble 
over these Prophecies concerning the Messiah; their 
meaning was not difficult to understand; their words 
were clear and simple; nevertheless, it seemed that 



24 Paul, Hero and Saint 

learned men always tried to make simple truths ob- 
scure. 

One day while the school of the Rabbis convened 
in which an intense argument was in progress, a Little 
Boy walked into their midst and listened to their 
discussion. He appeared at first to have innocently 
walked into the place by mistake, but in a short time 
the doctors saw Him open a large scroll of the Bible, 
and pointing to a certain line, He asked them many 
questions. There were a few young men in the 
room and, although the stranger seemed a bit taller 
than Saul, you can readily understand, the doctors 
thought that He was one of the pupils of Gamaliel. 
The learned men answered His questions, and then, 
to the surprise of all, they soon found themselves 
asking this strange Young Man questions, which they 
never understood, and which He answered promptly 
and clearly. There He stood in His tunic of white; 
a picture which no artist could paint. His eyes, so 
loving and yet so soul-penetrating, seemed to hold 
the doctors spellbound; His gentle but firm voice 
charmed them; and they were astounded at His ques- 
tions and answers. The most learned men in Jeru- 
salem were puzzled; they had studied for many years, 
and this Young Man of no more than twelve years, 
knew more than they did! It was most difficult to 
understand that this Youth should possess such won- 
derful knowledge! 

Quite unexpectedly, a venerable and bearded man 
of noble appearance entered the room from the outer 
hall. He was accompanied by a most beautiful and 



At College in Jerusalem 25 

motherly appearing young woman, who stretched 
forth her arms towards the Youth; and while a sweet 
smile of joy rested upon her fair face, her lips pressed 
upon the Youth's brow a loving kiss. It was the 
meeting of Mother and Son! The Mother, embrac- 
ing her Son, was heard to say: "Son, why hast 
Thou done so to us? Behold, Thy father and I have 
sought Thee sorrowing." The Jewish doctors 
thought that the Youth had probably run away from 
His parents, and thus they regarded Him merely as 
a precocious and a disobedient child. While such 
thoughts were passing through the minds of the 
learned men, the Youth replied with gentleness: 
"How is it that you sought Me? Did you not know 
that I must be about My Father's business?" Slowly 
all three went out of the room, the Youth obediently 
leading His devoted Guardian and the fair young 
Mother down the Temple corridor. 

The learned doctors watched the Youth as he de- 
parted, and those words, "Did you not know that I 
must be about My Father's business?" seemed to 
haunt their souls. Who was this Young Man? The 
kind smile, the gentle walk, the manly voice, and the 
divine countenance had enkindled the fire of love in 
everybody's heart! Who could this Youth be? Who 
was His good Mother and the noble man who accom- 
panied them? The erudite Rabbis were ignorant of 
the presence of Christ in their midst. They went 
back to their homes in silence, and passing down the 
busy streets, they repeated the question over and over 
again: "What was His Father's business?" 



CHAPTER V 
Learning the Trade of Tent-Making 

Every soldier knows the practical value of tents. 
They are easily carried, quickly erected, rapidly re- 
moved and they are not very costly. Soldiers must 
be able to break up camp at a moment's notice; in a 
few minutes, their packs must be upon their backs, 
and they must be ready for the orders of their com- 
manders. In the days of Saul, there were many 
soldiers just as there are today; they lived either in 
barracks or in tents. In addition to these soldiers, 
there Were also certain classes, or nations of travel- 
ing and wandering people, who likewise lived in 
tents. The tent was cheaper than a stone house, and 
it required very little time to move it to another 
country. Sometimes the people pitched their tents 
along the rivers; sometimes on the mountain slopes; 
sometimes under shady trees; and then again on the 
hot sands of the desert. A tent, in the days of Saul, 
was owned by nearly every family; some used them 
for business and others used them for pleasure. 

Saul was wise enough to understand that tents 
were always in demand, and that they were some- 
thing that the people wanted and the soldiers re- 
quired. "Therefore," said he, "the trade of tent- 
making is, indeed, worth while learning." As a boy, 

26 



Learning the Trade of Tent-Making 27 

Saul had seen and learned a great deal from his 
father, who not only made tents, but also sails for 
the large sailing vessels; and thus, while in Jerusalem 
at college, he thought about his father's business and 
planned that he w T ould, upon his return to Tarsus, 
learn the trade of tent-making. Every Jewish Rabbi 
learned a trade so that he could, in case of necessity, 
earn a living for himself; Saul realized that he must 
provide for the future, since he would be forced to 
work at something else besides teaching to earn his 
daily bread. 

The exact date of Saul's return to his home in 
Tarsus is rather difficult to determine, but we know 
that Saul went back to his own home town, not as an 
ordinary college graduate, but as a notary public and 
lawyer of the Jewish Church; the people came to him 
with all their troubles; persons who did not under- 
stand the laws, consulted Saul; family quarrels were 
settled by him; marriage records were examined; cer- 
tificates were written and legally drawn up for his 
clients; and, in addition to all this, Saul was es- 
teemed and respected as a Rabbi or teacher of the 
Jewish Religion, who had once been a student of 
"The Beauty of the Law"— Gamaliel. 

You may think that it was rather humiliating for 
Saul to get down to tent-making after having ob- 
tained such a big position in his Church, but the 
Jewish people all understood and even expected that 
Saul and all their Rabbis should learn a trade. It 
would not be difficult for Saul to learn the trade of 
tent-making, because as a boy he had watched the 



28 Paul, Hero and Saint 

workers in his father's factory; he felt that he could 
easily make tents, twist ropes and weave sails; and 
so, upon his return to Tarsus, he immediately took 
up the work in a Greek tent factory. Some writers 
tell us that Saul's father was no longer in the busi- 
ness; and so he found work with a certain Gentile; 
this man was a Greek, and although he did not care 
much for Saul's religion, yet he was willing to accept 
him as an apprentice. The manufacturer soon dis- 
covered that Saul was very enterprising and that he 
was able to follow any pattern and design of tents 
that he was ordered to make. Saul was always will- 
ing to learn, which is the best trait in a young man 
when he is learning a trade. We can always learn a 
great deal from everybody; the person who thinks he 
knows everything, as a rule, knows nothing. 

In a very short time Saul began to realize that his 
good father was an easier boss than this Greek manu- 
facturer, who cared little about his workingmen, 
except that they work fast and help to make him 
richer. It was a good experience for the young ap- 
prentice; he could actually see and experience how 
poor people must work for others, and how hard they 
must work in order to earn a few dollars. Experi- 
ence, you know, is a very good teacher — when we are 
unable to learn from the experiences of others. It 
was also a good opportunity for Saul to speak to 
men of other religions and to learn from them what 
they believed. You must not, however, think that 
Saul was "prying into other people's business." No ! 
Saul was a prudent young man of learning and never 



Learning the Trade of Tent-Making 29 

offended anybody nor ridiculed the religion of others. 
He simply talked and argued in a sensible way. It 
was also very good for the young Rabbi to mingle 
with pagans, who might ridicule his religion, and so 
make him stronger in his faith and test his deter- 
mination to be true to God. It was, indeed, a real 
test for Saul's vocation; it was far better than reading 
books and hearing others tell him of their experi- 
ences. 

How did Saul make tents? Well, in few words, we 
can explain the whole process. The tents, or "taber- 
nacles" as many called them, were made of goat's 
hair closely woven together in such a way that the 
tent cloth was entirely waterproof. Outside of Tar- 
sus on the gentle slopes of the Taurus Mountains 
there were great herds of goats; there they grazed on 
the hillside, and from these goats the shepherds gath- 
ered the long hairs, tied them up into bundles and 
sold them to the tent makers. These goat hairs were 
woven into pieces of cloth, about three-quarters of 
a yard wide, which in turn were sewed into shelter- 
halves. Straps, stakes and different sized poles were 
necessary to erect a tent; and just as the soldiers 
pitch their tents, so did the people in the time of 
Saul build their "tabernacle camps." The size of the 
tent varied according to the purpose for which it 
was intended. The largest tent ever made was the 
"Great Tent," or "Tabernacle of David," which was 
erected on Mount Sion; into this "House of God" the 
Jews gathered together in order to worship God; and 
hundreds of musical instruments made of wood, iron 



30 Paul, Hero and Saint 

and brass, harps and lutes, timbrels, cornets and 
cymbals furnished the accompaniment to the soul- 
inspiring chant of the seven choirs within the "Great 
Tent." 

Saul worked untiringly and patiently at his trade. 
His master was a driver of men and the factory was 
more like a prison than a place of employment. Saul 
was planning for the future. He required some 
money before he started out in the world. The 
future was always bright to him. There was no such 
word as "failure" in Saul's mind or upon his lips. 
He could think for himself; he could use common 
sense; and he could see a glorious future ahead of 
him. 

"If I can build tents for men, then— I can build 
tabernacles for God amongst men." 



CHAPTER VI 
The Divine Leader and His Army 

Saul was growing into manhood. Although he 
was called "a man of God," nevertheless, he worked 
silently at his trade of tent-making, and patiently 
awaited the day when he, as a teacher of the Church 
of God, was to leave Tarsus for some strange and 
distant country. Whilst he was thus preparing him- 
self for "greater things to come," extraordinary 
things were happening in Palestine. 

From a little town, called Nazareth, a poor Car- 
penter had suddenly begun to teach the people 
strange but beautiful truths. In three short years 
He had risen to the heights of glory; He was called 
"The Divine Leader;" and the army of His followers 
was growing greater every day. His sermons were 
so wonderful that the multitudes followed Him for 
days without food in order to hear Him speak; the 
sick had been brought to Him and He cured them; 
the blind were made to see; the lame walked; and 
even the dead were brought to life again. All these 
wonders, or "miracles," had been performed in the 
broad daylight and in the sight of everybody. It was 
known that He had fed thousands of His followers 
with a few loaves and fishes; He had caused a great 
multitude of fishes to be caught by certain fisher- 

31 



32 Paul, Hero and Saint 

men, who having labored all night had caught noth- 
ing; the Sea of Galilee itself was said to be subject 
to His power, for while sailing upon that Sea in a 
small boat, a severe storm arose and threatened to 
destroy the boat, when suddenly He arose and com- 
manded the raging winds to be silent, and the violent 
seas He calmed. The whole country was aglow with 
excitement. The army of admirers and followers 
was increasing at such an alarming rate, that the 
leaders of the synagogues and the Priests of the 
Temple were planning to kill the Divine Leader, 
Who, it was said, was about to build a new Church 
to take the place of the old Temple. 

Saul heard these things, and he clearly remem- 
bered what he had heard about the Youth in 
the midst of the Doctors. Possibly, it might be 
that clever Young Man, Who could ask and answer 
those difficult questions from the Bible; but surely, 
if it were that Young Man, Jerusalem would have 
heard something of Him within the last fifteen years. 
Thus Saul was pondering over and over again: 
"Who might this Divine Leader be?" He had a vivid 
picture in his mind of that sudden departure from 
the Temple when the Youth walked away obediently, 
and led His good and gentle Mother down the great 
marble stairs. 

"Who is this Man?" the inquiring people asked 
Saul; and he naturally told them that this poor Car- 
penter, called the Divine Leader, was a deceiver of 
the people, and that they should not believe all that 
they had heard about him. "If such a person ever 



The Divine Leader and His Army 33 

lived in Palestine, He was a fraud," so said Saul. 
"No human being could do the wonderful things that 
had been noised about the country by His followers," 
was Saul's belief. 

"But," said one of Saul's Greek friends, "this good 
Carpenter told the people that He was God, and that 
He and your Father, Who is in Heaven, are one." 

That was too much for Saul, the Jewish Rabbi; 
he quickly cried out: "Blasphemy, blasphemy! It's 
a lie — a lie of the worst kind." 

"Saul, Saul," broke in another tent maker, "does 
not your Bible say, that a Messiah is coming to re- 
deem the world?" 

"Yes, we expect a Redeemer, but our Messiah will 
never come to us as a poor despised Carpenter. Stop 
and think! What good can come out of Nazareth? 
When our Messiah comes, He will come as the Son 
of David, and all the world shall follow Him," was 
the bitter reply. 

"Saul," chirped a happy little apprentice, "that is 
just what has happened. The world is following this 
Messiah, Who is not your Emperor, but your King." 

"Nonsense," retorted Saul. "Listen, my little man! 
I have studied the Scriptures and I understand the 
Prophecies. When our Messiah comes, He will come 
from the land of Juda and not from Nazareth; the 
Scriptures say: 'And thou, Bethlehem, the land of 
Juda, art not the least amongst the princes of Juda; 
for out of thee shall come forth the Ruler of Israel 
that shall rule my people/ Now what do you think 
of that?" 



34 Paul, Hero and Saint 

"But," came the answer from another tent maker, 
who had until this time paid no attention to the argu- 
ment, "this Carpenter, Who has become the Divine 
Leader, is the One of Whom it was foretold that 'a 
little Child shall lead them;' He was not born at 
Nazareth, but in a little cave on the hillside of 
Bethlehem, in Judea, where shepherds found Him, 
kings from the Orient adored Him, and angel choirs 
from Heaven sang over the place of His birth, 'Glory 
to God in the Highest, and peace on earth to men of 
good will.* Saul, Saul, Saul! You know more than 
you care to tell us concerning this Person, Whose 
name is Jesus Christ." 

Saul was a learned man. He had heard all these 
facts and knew even more concerning the Divine 
Leader; however, Saul wanted positive proofs for 
anything that he believed, or at least, he wanted 
sound reasons for accepting the things he had heard 
about Christ. He consulted the older Rabbis and the 
better educated members of the Jewish Church, who 
naturally convinced Saul that the whole affair was 
an imposition; and he finally became confirmed in 
his belief that the so-called Messiah and Divine 
Leader was a deceiver of the people. 

"And where is this King? this Divine Leader? this 
Messiah? the Imposter? Where is He? Tell me!" 
he bitterly questioned one and all. They could not 
answer. Saul had received the news long before the 
people had heard of the great happenings down at 
Jerusalem; and he laughed and asked them over and 
over again, if they had heard the latest news. Of 



The Divine Leader and His Army 35 

course, they had not received any news within the 
last week, and probably the Rabbi censored the news 
before it came to them. Saul laughed at their sad 
plight; they were confused; they could not answer 
his baffling questions. 

"Don't you know? Well, then I must tell you all 
that has happened. On the hill outside the city of 
Jerusalem, called Calvary, the Nazarene was nailed 
to a cross and died between two thieves who were 
also crucified with Him. What have you to say to 
that? What do you think of the Divine Leader, Who 
was thus put to death as a malefactor? What do you 
think of His valiant followers, who abandoned their 
Divine Leader? What do you think of this won- 
derful Carpenter from Nazareth, Who was to build 
a new Church to take the place of the old Temple?" 
Saul laughed again and again. 

The tent makers worked away in silence. They 
had not heard of the crucifixion of the Divine Leader. 
Like the two travelers leaving Jerusalem in dismay 
and sorrow, they did not realize that Jesus was to 
suffer all these things for our salvation; they did not 
understand that Jesus was to draw all mankind to 
Himself upon the Cross; they did not know that He 
had already built His Church, not with the cedars 
of Lebanon or with the marble from the quarries of 
Pentelicus, but with Faith, Hope, and Charity in the 
hearts and souls of men, and founded it upon a 
"Rock," against which even the gates of Hell could 
not prevail. These simple-minded people, so far 
away from Jerusalem, had heard little or nothing 



36 Paul, Hero and Saint 

about the twelve men selected by Jesus to act as 
Bishops, or Overseers, of the whole Church; and that 
one certain Bishop, called Peter, was selected to act 
as the Pope, or the "Father of all the Faithful." The 
members of the Church were all soldiers of Christ, 
the Divine Leader; the Bishops were Generals, ap- 
pointed to command certain divisions of the Army; 
and the Pope was to act as the Commander-in-Chief. 

To this first Pope of the new Church, Jesus said: 
"Thou art Peter, and upon this rock, I will build My 
Church, and the gates of Hell shall not prevail 
against it." This Church, the Catholic Church, was 
founded by Jesus Himself; it was not established by 
men; and concerning this Church, Jesus said: "Be- 
hold, I am with you all days, even to the consumma- 
tion of the world." Jesus was indeed both God and 
Man; He suffered all things in order to redeem us 
and to come into His glory; He is now reigning with 
His Eternal Father in Heaven; He was really and 
truly the Son of the Living God; His Father was in 
Heaven, His earthly Mother was the Blessed Virgin 
Mary, and His guardian upon earth was the noble 
St. Joseph. 

It was all so mysterious to the young Rabbi Saul, 
and even more perplexing to the people who had 
never studied the Scriptures. Saul had heard very 
much about Jesus, and when it was announced that 
the Divine Leader had risen from the dead, Saul was 
almost frantic with anger. He could not understand 
how Roman soldiers, the best in the world, could 
have allowed these defeated Christians to steal away 



The Divine Leader and His Army 37 

the body of their Leader, and then advertise and 
openly proclaim that He had risen from the grave. 
It was a puzzle that Saul could not unravel. What 
was worse, was the news that this Triumphant 
Leader had appeared and spoken to His followers, 
and especially to His Commander-in-Chief. It was 
all a big conspiracy! A big deception! Saul swore 
in his heart that this new Church must be crushed. 
The Jewish religion must be the only true religion. 
Saul was a Rabbi; he could do something in con- 
junction with the other Rabbis to stamp out this new 
Church, which was planning to spread out over the 
whole world, to be one and the same in all countries, 
in all ages and for all mankind. 

Saul stood before his fellow-workingmen. His 
eyes flashed with the fire of anger; his right hand 
was raised and his finger pointed toward Heaven; 
and he swore with an oath to His God in Heaven 
that he would crush this new Church and destroy 
the Army of Christ. It was a solemn promise, and 
he meant to keep it. "This new Church must be 
crushed! The Army of Christ must be destroyed!" 



CHAPTER VII 
"Stone Him to Death!" 

Saul was a real man. He had never grown to be 
very tall, but he was solid and sound; and like a 
sturdy oak, he could not be bent by any storm or dis- 
aster. He was determined "to stand his ground" 
against any one who opposed him. His body seemed 
to be made of iron, and his mind seemed as sharp 
and as quick as the flash of a steel sword. He had 
developed finely and was built like a real human 
fighting-machine. In his youthful years he had a 
good head of hair, but as he advanced in age he 
gradually became somewhat bald. His nose was like 
an eagle's in shape, which the dictionary terms "aqui- 
line;" and his face was of a ruddy and healthy color. 
His personality was irresistible. Saul was a man of 
high ideals, deep faith and broad vision! He was a 
practical man who used progressive methods; he was 
always busy and ever ready to fight for the defence 
of his faith. Yes ! He was always ready and willing 
to die for the Jewish Church! 

Such a man you certainly must admire, and you 
can easily understand how readily the Jewish people 
selected him as one of their leaders. He had never 
seen Jesus perform "a miracle," and, therefore, all 
that he ever heard about Him, he regarded as lies 
and attempts to destroy the Jewish religion, which he 
thought was the only true Church of God. When the 
Jewish Church held a meeting for its Rabbis in Jeru- 

38 



"Stone Him to Death! 9 * 39 

salem, Saul was present, and it was there that he 
heard more about the "followers of Christ." He be- 
came very angry when he learned that they were in- 
creasing in numbers quite rapidly; he called them 
"fools;" and he promised the High Priest that he 
would gladly assist in the persecution of their com- 
mon enemy — the Catholic Church. 

Now, it so happened that the Catholic Church had 
twelve Apostles and seventy-two Disciples. The 
Apostles were the Bishops of the Church; and the 
Disciples were helpers of the Apostles and pupils of 
Jesus, whom Jesus Himself had chosen, while He 
was still upon earth. At the Last Supper, the Apos- 
tles were made Priests and were given the power of 
saying Mass, when Jesus took bread, blessed and 
broke it, and gave it to His Apostles, saying: "Take 
ye and eat. This is My Body." And taking the chal- 
ice, He gave thanks to God, blessed it and gave it to 
His disciples, saying: "Drink ye all of this, for this 
is My Blood of the New Testament, which shall be 
shed for many unto the remission of sins." Then 
He commanded them, "Do this for a commemoration 
of Me." Thus He actually made them Priests, gave 
them the necessary power, and told them to offer His 
own Body and Blood in commemoration of Him in 
the Sacrifice of the Mass. At this Last Supper and 
First Mass, in which Jesus was the Priest, He ac- 
tually gave the Apostles their First Holy Communion, 
which, really and truly, was Jesus Himself under the 
appearances of bread and wine. When He said: 
"This is My Body," He meant what He said; He did 



40 Paul, Hero and Saint 

not mean "this is a picture, a symbol or a memorial 
of My Body." No! Jesus, really and truly, gave us 
Himself in Holy Communion. It was a mystery of 
Faith and even the Apostles could not explain it in 
any other way, than that Jesus was God, and that to 
Him all things are possible. Although we do not 
understand how Jesus gives Himself to us under the 
appearances of bread or wine, still we believe in His 
Real Presence. Nature is overflowing with mysteries 
that we can never hope to thoroughly understand; 
thus it is not difficult to realize that we shall never 
be able to thoroughly understand the supernatural 
mysteries of Christ's power. We say "I believe" and 
trust in Christ's own words and the Church's truthful 
teaching. 

When Jesus had been put to death, the Priests of 
Jesus, His twelve Apostles, continued to do what He 
had commanded them; namely, they offered up the 
Sacrifice of the Mass. The proof that the Mass comes 
from Jesus and has always been celebrated by His 
Priests, can easily be found all over the world, but 
especially in the Catacombs of Rome, where, beneath 
the city, you can find the old altars that were used 
during the early persecutions. The vestments worn 
by the Priest today and the Latin prayers that he re- 
cites are also reminders of the ancient origin of the 
Sacrifice of the Mass. 

The Apostles, you will understand, were Bishops 
as well as Priests; as Bishops, they in turn ordained 
other Priests for the service of the Church. A young 
man who had a vocation, or, as we say, was called by 



"Stone Him to Death!" 41 

Jesus to become a Priest, was given a special train- 
ing similar to that which Saul received when he was 
studying to become a Rabbi. Before a Bishop or- 
dained a young man to the Priesthood, he made sure 
that the young man was a good Catholic, that he was 
acquainted with the Scriptures, that he understood 
the teachings of Jesus, and also that he was willing 
to give his whole life to the service of the Church. 
In order to give the young men such a test, they were 
trained and cared for like little plants in a hothouse, 
and protected from the dangers of the world. The 
hothouse or nursery, which in other words is called 
a seminary, was the Bishop's own home, and there 
the young novices were watched and trained by the 
Bishop himself. Before they were ordained, these 
carefully trained young men studied every detail of 
the ceremonies and the services in the Church. Be- 
ginning with the little things, they gradually ad- 
vanced to the more important things; and thus, as 
they advanced from one grade to another, they were 
given certain positions, which we call "Holy Orders." 
First, they were given charge of the keys of the 
Church; and as "Ostiarius," the seminarian was ob- 
liged to open and close the Church doors for Mass 
and public services; as "Lector," he was permitted to 
read certain announcements and prayers to the peo- 
ple; as "Exorcist," he prayed for the sick members 
of the Church; as "Acolyte," he became a server in 
the sanctuary and cared for the candle-symbols of 
the Light of the World; finally, as "Sub-Deacon" and 
as "Deacon," he served the Mass of the Bishop. 



42 Paul, Hero and Saint 

To the Deacons was given much more work than 
merely serving at Mass; for they had charge also of 
all the collections and were obliged to provide food, 
clothing and shelter for the poor widows and the 
abandoned orphans. Thus the Deacons were always 
busy. It was a good test of the young man's char- 
acter before he was ordained to the Priesthood. Now 
it happened at the time when Saul came to Jerusalem 
to persecute the Catholics, there were seven Deacons 
in the city, the most zealous of whom was Stephen. 
He was young, and being fair and courageous, he 
created quite an impression upon the people of Jeru- 
salem; he was an eloquent preacher, but always 
sought to work amongst the poor and starving peo- 
ple. 

When Saul came from Tarsus in Cilicia to 
Jerusalem, he immediately sought out a synagogue 
that might be frequented by his own countrymen. 
He went to a certain synagogue for the Gilicians, and 
there he found the Deacon Stephen preaching to the 
people. What did Saul do? He saw the gentle 
Stephen and noticed how he was leading the people 
from the Jewish Church into the Catholic Church; 
so one day he boldly stood up and contradicted 
Stephen. The young Deacon was speaking about the 
Messiah, Whom he declared was none other than 
Jesus. Saul said this was a lie — the worst lie that 
had ever been told by anyone. Stephen denied this, 
and soon Saul and Stephen argued before the crowded 
synagogue. Stephen was winning slowly, but surely. 
Saul was clever, and became sarcastic in his remarks, 



"Stone Him to Death!" 43 

but soon he realized that the young Deacon had 
beaten him in every point. It made Saul angry to 
think that this young preacher had outwitted him; 
he was insulted before his own people; he, a learned 
Rabbi from the university of Gamaliel, had been 
beaten by a young Deacon. It was terrible! Saul 
decided that Stephen must be stopped. He dared not 
preach any longer. The bud must be crushed before 
it could bloom into a beautiful flower! 

Saul planned everything very carefully. The other 
Rabbis and the Jewish people agreed to work to- 
gether. In union there is strength. Accordingly, one 
day the Deacon Stephen was caught and dragged be- 
fore the court of the Jews, called the Sanhedrin, and 
many people came and, acting as witnesses, lied about 
the good Deacon. Stephen in turn became so en- 
raptured and devout, that he, in the midst of the 
trial, began to preach to the judges and the people. 
He told them in plain outspoken words that Jesus 
was the Messiah, and that they were the real mur- 
derers of the Messiah. It was enough! The crowds 
became uncontrolled and wildly cursed poor Stephen 
and banded together to kill him; but he, full of 
the Holy Ghost, looked up to Heaven and saw the 
glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of 
God. His voice was clear and deliberate: "Behold! 
I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing 
on the right hand of God." 

Such words were more than sufficient to arouse the 
anger of the Jews. The whole council and the peo- 
ple cried out with a loud voice, closed their ears, and 



44 Paul, Hero and Saint 

ran violently upon him. In their frenzy, they most 
brutally cast poor Stephen out of the city. They 
quickly passed through a gate, now known as St. 
Stephen's Gate, and there almost opposite the Garden 
of Gethsemane, in which Jesus once prayed and suf- 
fered, the crowd cried out: "To death with Stephen! 
Stone him to death! Stone him to death!" 

The crowd was not slow in finding huge rocks and 
rough stones, which they hurled at Stephen, as he 
stood near the city's wall; his body was soon covered 
with blood that ran from the open wounds made by 
the sharp stones ; and then falling to the ground from 
weakness, he lifted his eyes toward Heaven and 
prayed. Like Jesus on the cross, he first prayed for 
his enemies, saying: "Lord, lay not this sin to their 
charge;" and then thinking of himself, he exclaimed: 
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." A huge rock struck 
him upon his forehead; he fell heavily to the ground; 
and his saintly body was soon covered over with a 
mound of bloodstained stones. 

Among the wild crowd of stone throwers, there 
were some men who laid aside their garments, that 
they might better throw larger stones at poor 
Stephen. These ruffians threw their coats, tunics and 
cloaks upon the roadside, where a man stood with 
hatred in his eyes for Stephen. This man consented 
to all that was done; he watched the murderers' 
ragged clothing; and he rejoiced in the gentle 
Deacon's death. This man was none other than the 
latest persecutor of the Catholic Church — the cruel 
and revengeful Saul. 



CHAPTER VIII 
The Steel Sword of Damascus 

"2+2=5." Who said so? Any child in the pri- 
mary school knows the true answer. It cannot be 
changed. As long as 2 equals 2 we know that 
"2+2=4;" "4" will always be the correct answer. 
No one can or will ever be able to change it. Now, 
it is just the same with Truth. People often tell lies, 
and even swear that the lies are true, but, sooner or 
later, the truth is always found out. No matter how 
hard you may work against the truth and try to con- 
ceal or destroy it, it will, nevertheless, sometime be 
brought out into the broad daylight. When you try 
to conceal or hide truth, it is just like rowing against 
the current, which, if it be very strong, will bend and 
break your oars and then carry your boat to destruc- 
tion. 

Saul tried to make himself believe that "2+2=5," 
but it was just like rowing against the current; his 
oars broke and the swift current of the river of 
Truth was carrying him nearer and nearer to the 
rocks of destruction. He would not admit that he 
was wrong. He saw many proofs that Jesus was 
really and truly the Messiah; he saw the Catholic 
Church wherever he went; and he could no longer 
count the large number of converts that daily en- 

45 



46 Paul, Hero and Saint 

rolled in the ranks of the Army of Christ. It made 
Saul very angry to see the Jewish religion set aside 
for this new Church! He could think of no other 
remedy for the sad state of affairs than that he must 
help to destroy this Church. It must be destroyed! 
It mattered not whether he lost his own life. He 
must defend his religion. Since some philosophers 
once said that "2+2," might, possibly, probably or 
perhaps make "5;" likewise, Saul thought that the 
accounts given about Jesus being the true Messiah 
might possibly, probably or perhaps be untrue. 

Stephen the Deacon had been martyred, and Saul 
became the hero of the hour. The Jewish people 
realized that Saul meant business and intended to 
help them to destroy this new Church. The San- 
hedrin, or Great Council, had decided to wage war 
upon the Catholics, not only in the city of Jerusalem, 
but even to the far distant cities and countries. Poor 
children were left alone, while their parents were 
chained and put into prison. Families were sepa- 
rated; and old and young were bound and punished 
for merely being Catholics. Just as the Catholics of 
today are sometimes scoffed at and made the sub- 
jects of ridicule, so were the first Catholics. Just 
as our churches, parochial schools and convents are 
sometimes burned and destroyed, in like manner was 
an attempt made, in the first ages of the Church, to 
drive it from the face of the earth. Yes, for many 
years the first Catholics were obliged to hide them- 
selves in the Catacombs for the sole purpose of hear- 
ing Mass. Jesus once told His Apostles that He Him- 



The Steel Sword of Damascus 47 

self was to suffer many things in order to come into 
His glory; in the same manner, the members of 
Christ's Church must suffer in order to come into 
their glory. Look about and see which Church is 
persecuted; the Church that is persecuted is the 
Church of Jesus — the Catholic Church. You belong 
to that Church and are very happy to know that you 
will always be persecuted for your faith in this 
world. Whatever you suffer, you suffer for Jesus. 

Over all the country, the Catholics feared Saul, for 
he usually bound them with chains or ropes and then 
dragged them to Jerusalem's drear prison for punish- 
ment. He was like a sharp steel sword made in 
Damascus, slashing to the right and to the left, only 
to destroy everything in its path. Letters had been 
given to him by the High-Priest in Jerusalem to go 
to the city of Damascus; and he was very glad to 
receive such a commission to destroy the Church in 
a city that had not yet been punished for believing 
in Jesus. 

Damascus was always famous for its steel swords. 
These swords were not only sharp-edged and pointed, 
but they were strong and could be bent as easily as 
a twig of the willow tree. The city was said to be 
the oldest city in the world, and as it was the cap- 
ital of Syria, you can well understand that it must 
have been of some importance. The distance from 
Jerusalem to Damascus was one hundred and fifty 
miles, and it took about eight days to cover the same; 
which meant that the route taken would pass over 
hills, through deserts, and in valleys. Saul gathered 



48 Paul, Hero and Saint 

together a company of soldiers, and mounting his 
horse, the eager persecutor galloped away toward 
Damascus. It was a long and tiresome journey, and 
many dangers had to be encountered. The distances 
seemed very short, but the journey around the hills 
took many hours; often the riders were obliged to 
dismount in order to give their horses the necessary 
rest. 

When Saul and his company stopped to rest and 
take food, they heard the country folks talking about 
Jesus and the wonders that He had performed. 
They had passed through the country of Samaria 
and Galilee, and finally were nearing the city of 
Damascus. Eight days of weary travel were soon 
to be finished! They could partly see the city in 
the distance, and Saul was secretly planning how he 
could capture its Catholics. As he rode along the 
highway, Saul soon beheld the city in all its beauty 
before him. It was just about mid-day, and the sun 
shone brightly, as the horses broke into a gallop 
towards the city, when — suddenly, like a sharp blade 
of a Damascene sword, a bright flaming light flashed 
from out the serene blue skies and threw Saul from 
his horse. 

He was eager to kill the Catholics with the steel 
sword of Damascus, and, if the occasion presented 
itself, he was determined to carry out his intentions; 
but the flaming sword of Heaven's Angel struck him 
down before the very gates of the city, and his plans 
were utterly ruined. His horse ran away wildly; 
Saul tried to rise from the dusty road — but he could 




ESCAPE FROM DAMASCUS 



(See page (>0) 



P. Priolo 



The Steel Sword of Damascus 49 

not; he was as helpless as a child. In his sad plight 
and bewilderment, he heard a voice calling "Saul, 
Saul, why persecutest thou Me?" He heard his own 
name mentioned, and yet he could see no one who 
addressed these appealing words to him. He could 
do no more than ask: "Who art Thou?" An an- 
swer came back as sweetly and as gently as the words 
which came from the sacred lips of the Crucified 
Saviour on Calvary: "I am Jesus of Nazareth, 
Whom thou persecutest." 

It was Jesus Who spoke to Saul and told him 
what to do. It was Jesus, the Crucified Saviour and 
Triumphant Leader of Heaven's Armies, Who had 
turned the hilt of Saul's sword towards Heaven, and 
it became — a cross. The Light of the World had 
turned Saul's soul from the mid-day of earthly glory 
to the midnight of sorrow and conversion. He was 
blind! 



CHAPTER IX 
On the Street Called "Straight" 

Did you ever commit a sin and then suddenly 
realize what you had done? The grace of God en- 
lightened you and you understood that you had of- 
fended God Himself. Do you remember how sorry 
you were? A certain pain that you could not de- 
scribe seemed to burn and torture your heart and 
soul. "Your conscience troubled you." That is 
what you may have said. It fully described what 
was going on in your soul, but it never described 
your troubles. You thoroughly realized that, when 
you committed the sin, you must have been very 
proud; and although everybody thought that you 
walked upon "Straight Street," yet, your daily path 
was rather crooked. Your friends may have called 
you "upright and honest," but down deep in your 
heart you knew it was not the truth. Finally, you 
went to confession, and having told your sins to the 
Priest, who represented Jesus in the confessional, 
you received absolution and your sins were forgiven; 
and then, with those words of Jesus ringing in your 
ears, "Son, be of good heart, thy sins are forgiven 
thee," you went forth with the intention of staying 
on "Straight Street." 

As you realized your mistake, so did Saul see hi 3 

50 



On the Street Called "Straight" 51 

error. He tried to find "Straight Street/' Jesus had 
told him to look for this street, where a certain per- 
son would help him to become a real Catholic. You 
will naturally understand that Saul was obliged to 
do a great deal, in order to become enrolled in the 
Army of Christ; he was to receive lessons in Chris- 
tian Doctrine; he was to be baptized and confirmed; 
and then he was to receive his first Holy Communion. 
In order to accomplish all this, it meant a great deal 
of work for someone. Saul was indeed converted. 
Jesus had changed him into a new man; from a Jew 
of the strictest kind he was soon to become a zealous 
Catholic. 

The city of Damascus had a large wall around it; 
at certain intervals turrets appeared; and at the 
terminus of the roads leading to the city, large gates 
were located. Through one of these gates, Saul, the 
blind man, was led; his horse had run away, and a 
few soldiers remained as his companions. He had 
expected to ride into Damascus like a hero, but God 
willed it that he should be led into the city blind. 
The soldiers, who had come to bind the Catholics 
and take them as prisoners to Jerusalem, were some- 
what perplexed. Their leader was blind and help- 
less; therefore, they could do nothing, and preferred 
to return without being troubled with prisoners. 
Moreover, they could not understand their leader's 
sudden change of mind. He had become a Catholic, 
and now refused to order the arrest of the very 
people that he had formerly sworn to kill! The sol- 
diers took their blind leader to a certain house on 



52 Paul, Hero and Saint 

the street, called "Straight," and they left him there, 
not with a pleasant "good-bye," but with many 
curses they called him a "traitor!" 

The so-called "traitor" lived alone with God, and 
fasted and prayed in the house on "Straight" Street, 
where a good and holy man named Ananias came to 
instruct him. At first Ananias doubted Saul, and 
somewhat mistrusted him, for fear that he might be 
a spy sent into the Catholic community by the Jews; 
but being told by Jesus Himself, that Saul was to 
be a "vase" in which the truths of Christian Doc- 
trine were to be carried to the pagan world, he went 
immediately to the task of instructing the latest con- 
vert from Judaism. Going into the house, Ananias 
met Saul and said: "Brother Saul, Jesus that hath 
appeared unto thee in the way thou earnest, hath 
sent me that thou mightest receive thy sight and be 
filled with the Holy Spirit." In other words, Ananias 
explained to Saul that he was chosen by God as a 
vessel to carry the Holy Name of Jesus "before the 
Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel." As 
the Apostle of the Holy Name he was to suffer very 
much, and as "another Christ" he was to be de- 
spised, persecuted, and even put to death. 

It was good news for Saul. Ananias laid his hands 
upon Saul's head and blessed him; immediately, the 
scales fell from his eyes; and he gazed upon the 
beautiful world once more. Ananias had prayed for 
him! Jesus had cured him! The Light of the 
World had performed a miracle for the darkened 
soul of Saul! 



On the Street Called "Straight" 53 

Saul began his study of Christian Doctrine under 
the careful guidance of Ananias and a few other in- 
terested friends; his lessons consisted in nothing else 
but the self-same truths, which Jesus Himself had 
taught the people when He was upon earth. The 
Christian Doctrine of today is the very same as that 
taught to Saul, and if anything different were 
taught in the Church, it would no longer be the true 
Church of Jesus. Some people seem to crave for 
"new things" in religion as tjiey demand them in 
business and pleasure; but in religion, especially in 
the Church of Jesus — the Catholic Church — we hold 
fast to the "old things," which can never change. 
"Truth never changes." The reason why our Church 
obliges us to study our Catechism is, because it wants 
us to know what Jesus taught, what the Apostles 
preached, and what the Catholic Church has believed 
through all ages and in all places. 

After a thorough study of his Catechism, Saul the 
Catechumen was finally prepared for the reception 
of the Sacrament of Baptism. According to the or- 
ders of St. Peter in his first Pentecostal sermon that 
anyone wishing to be baptized must "do penance," 
and in agreement with the directions of "The 
"Didache," a most valuable manuscript better known 
as the "Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles," the per- 
formance of this "penance" consisted in one or two 
days of fasting and prayer. The purpose of this rule 
was designed to make the catechumen thoroughly 
sorry for all the sins of his whole life, and to help 
him to seek from God the forgiveness of his sins. 



54 Paul, Hero and Saint 

Since there was no way of coming into the Cath- 
olic Church by a window or through the roof, but 
only through the "door of Baptism," Ananias told 
Saul not to tarry. His words were rather command- 
ing: "Rise up, and be baptized, and wash away thy 
sins." The stain of original sin, which Saul in com- 
mon with all other human beings, excepting the Im- 
maculate Mother of Jesus, had inherited from our 
first parents, Adam and Eve, was awaiting the cleans- 
ing waters of Baptism. His actual sins, the mortal 
or grievous offences against the law of God, and the 
venial or slight offences against the law of God in 
matters of less importance, or in matters of great 
importance certain offences committed without suffi- 
cient reflection or full consent of the will, all these 
actual sins together with the stain of original sin 
were to be washed entirely away! The baptismal 
waters were like a sepulchre into which the "old 
man, that is to say, sin, dies and is buried, and 
whence the new man comes forth" as Jesus once 
came forth from the grave. Saul came forth from 
the waters of Baptism — a Christian. He believed 
that this Sacrament was instituted by Jesus, and that 
it was most necessary for his salvation. Yes! His 
soul was made immaculate as the new fallen snow; 
he was a child of God; and had he died at that mo- 
ment, he would have gone straight to Heaven. 

Saul was indeed a new man! He was no longer 
the Jewish Rabbi or the persecutor of the Catholics. 
No! Saul came forth from the waters of Baptism 
as a member of the Catholic Church. His only de- 



On the Street Called "Straight" 55 

sire was to belong entirely to Jesus — he wished to 
become a Catholic Priest! His whole life was 
changed "in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, 
and of the Holy Ghost;" he breathed the air more 
freely; his bloodstained hands were cleansed. His 
heart was filled with the love of Jesus; his con- 
science no longer troubled him; his soul was at peace 
with God. Truly! he was living on the street called 
"Straight!" 



CHAPTER X 

The Escape in a Basket 

Many visitors came to the little house on the street, 
called "Straight." They came to see the blind man 
who had been cured miraculously through the 
prayers of the good Ananias. These people were 
very anxious to hear the story of the newly-made 
convert. They wanted to know why Saul had be- 
come a Catholic, for they could not understand how 
a person, who formerly hated the Catholics, should 
suddenly become a Catholic. Some Catholics were 
a little slow in believing that Saul was a member of 
the faith, whilst others thought that he was acting 
the part of a detective, or a spy in their midst. 
Whatever their thoughts were, nevertheless, the 
members of the Church of Jesus came and listened 
to Saul's wonderful story of his conversion. He 
showed them the letter in which the Jewish High 
Priest Theophilus had given him permission to seize 
and bind the Catholics of Damascus, in order to drag 
them as prisoners to Jerusalem. Saul explained that 
Theophilus had exceeded his authority in giving him 
this letter of permission "to search for Catholics,'* 
and, since no one interfered in the matter, he felt 
justified that he was doing the work of God in perse- 
cuting the Church of Christ. He related how he had 
come in company with a band of soldiers; how the 
Angel of the Lord had stricken him down from his 

56 



The Escape in a Basket 57 

horse near the city; and how Jesus had spoken to 
him and told him what to do in order to become a 
Catholic. In concluding the pathetic story of his 
conversion, he said : "By the Grace of God, I am what 
I am." He took no credit unto himself for coming 
into the Church. Jesus, the Divine Leader, had led 
him into the Church! 

The Catholics gradually accepted Saul's explana- 
tion. However, the Jewish people hearing of Saul's 
conversion, began to scatter evil reports about him 
throughout the whole country, thus hoping to weaken 
the belief of the Catholics in his story. It was nat- 
ural for the Jews to become very angry. Saul had 
abandoned their Church; he had once been a strong 
supporter and defender of it, and now he had turned 
against the Church of his ancestors. He was, in the 
true sense of the word, a traitor to his old religion; 
but the word "traitor" meant "convert" to Saul; it 
lost its real significance, because Saul knew that he 
had obeyed the "Will of God." In the eyes of men 
he might be called a "traitor," but in the eyes of 
saints he would always be called a "convert," which 
fully described his turning away from the old reli- 
gion to the new religion of God. The Jewish Church 
was in reality the true Church of God until Christ 
came, when the Catholic Church supplanted the old 
religion. It was a disgrace for the Jews to leave the 
old Church, but it was considered an honor among 
the converts to have made such a change. The 
change or conversion was made for no one else save 
for God alone, Who sent His Only-Begotten Son to 



58 Paul, Hero and Saint 

the earth to build the new Church, which was to 
continue until the end of the world. 

The High Priest Theophilus was exceedingly angry 
with Saul, and immediately sent letters to Damascus 
that the Jewish people should try to find him, so 
that he might be dragged to Jerusalem and be given 
the treatment that he formerly meted out to others. 
The entire Jewish Church was excited and angry with 
their former Rabbi. When the soldiers, who had ac- 
companied Saul, returned to Jerusalem, they told 
everybody of Saul's conversion. The Holy City was 
greatly agitated; the people became indignant; and 
the Damascenes decided that "Saul must be put to 
death." 

Saul did not venture to go to Jerusalem, but re- 
mained in the little house on the street, called 
"Straight." He went about fearlessly, and even 
preached in the synagogues that "Jesus was the Son 
of God;" he assisted the Church by bringing more 
converts to the Faith; he was convinced that he was 
in the true Church; he saw his former mistakes and 
openly confessed his past sins. However, his work 
was not to go on undisturbed. He soon heard that 
the Jews wished to put him to death. His friends 
told him to be cautious lest his enemies should cap- 
ture him and secretly kill him, but Saul laughing at 
their anxiety, said that he could be as gentle as a 
dove and as sly as a fox with his enemies. He had 
nothing to fear. What he had done was right in the 
eyes of God, and therefore God would come to his as- 
sistance when in danger. His friends consoled him 



The Escape in a Basket 59 

and told him where the secret enemies were waiting 
for him, but Saul thanked his newly-made friends 
for their kindness and insisted that he "trusted in 
God alone." The words of friends are comforting, 
when one is in danger or burdened with trouble, but 
they never do for us what God does. Saul fully 
realized that "God was his strength," and like all 
other valiant soldiers of the Army of Christ, he perse- 
vered "in prayer and in the communication of the 
Breaking of Bread." In other words, he received his 
true consolation and the necessary strength to com- 
bat his enemies from Jesus in Holy Communion. 

In the early Church, which was just the same as 
the Catholic Church of today, they had the Mass and 
Holy Communion. The Mass was first called "The 
Breaking of Bread," which name it received from the 
words of the Gospel, wherein we are told that Jesus 
at the First Mass took bread, blessed it, broke it and 
gave it to His Disciples. Now, this Bread, which 
Jesus Himself gave to His loved ones for the "Life 
of the World," Saul also received from the hands of 
Christ's Priests. The Holy Communion made Saul 
strong and fearless; daily, he became braver and 
braver; he feared nothing — not even death itself! 
His heart was as a golden chalice, and his body was 
a tabernacle in which his soul adored, praised, and 
loved Jesus all the time. 

One day the Jews became very angry at Saul and 
determined that, no matter what difficulties pre- 
sented themselves, he was to be captured. They 
watched for him all day long; at night they even 



60 Paul, Hero and Saint 

hid near the city's gates in the hope that they might 
catch him as he passed out of the city. Saul knew 
what his enemies were doing. He was just as cun- 
ning as they were. He did not go where he knew 
they might capture him, but waited in some secret 
place for the late hours of night in order to escape 
from the city. He was informed that the gates were 
guarded; the highways and streets were patroled by 
spies; the Jews laughed and were confident that there 
was no possible escape from the ramparts. 

Saul smiled! He could always find a loophole 
through which he could easily evade his opponents 
and escape from his enemies. What do you think 
he did? He managed to hide in a certain part of 
the big wall of the city, where he knew they would 
never suspect his presence, and where, in the secret 
and silent hours of midnight, he could escape from 
one of the turret's windows. He did not jump from 
the high window. No! His plans worked to per- 
fection; his friends were loyal to him and helped him 
to descend by means of a large basket. It was 
simple enough. Saul got into the basket, slipped 
out of the window and slowly slid down the side of 
the wall. It was easy! Just like rolling off a log! 

So far his plans worked well. The next and only 
thing to do, was to start out for some distant coun- 
try; and having bid his friends farewell, he turned 
toward the country of Arabia, where he could live 
secretly until some future date. Arabia was a quiet 
and lonesome place. In the mountains of the wilder- 
ness near the Red Sea, a dwelling was fcund. SauPs 



The Escape in a Basket 61 

life was much like that which Jesus lived when He 
went into the desert to pray. He was alone with 
God. He could, indeed, make a splendid "retreat" 
here, and this would just be the proper thing for 
Saul, as a preparation for his future work in the 
service of Jesus. Did you ever hear of the young 
men in the seminary? Of course, they are called 
"seminarians," and they are there for a certain defi- 
nite purpose, namely, to prepare themselves for the 
work in the Priesthood of Jesus. The seminary is a 
sort of an Arabian desert, a place where pleasures 
and excitement of the business world are neither 
seen nor heard; a place where there are mountains 
of work for the earnest students, as well as a sea of 
trials and troubles confronting them every day. 

As the seminarians study, pray and meditate upon 
the great Truths of God and His true Church, so did 
Saul study, pray and meditate — alone with God. As 
the seminarians study most assiduously in order to 
make themselves "strenuous workmen" in the vine- 
yard of Jesus, so, too, did Saul untiringly pursue the 
study of all that was necessary for his work as a 
future Priest. As the seminarians meet with all 
kinds of trials in their novitiate, whereby their pa- 
tience is tested, their humility proven and their piety 
shown, so, too, was Saul tried and tested by the 
rules of discipline, by evil temptations, and by per- 
sonal sufferings. It was Saul's seminary course. 
Jesus was his Teacher, his Great Master, his Disci- 
plinarian and his Confessor. He was in Arabia — 
alone with God. 



CHAPTER XI 

"Don't Trust the Convert!" 

Saul's seminary course was completed. He felt 
that the people of Damascus, who once considered 
him as their enemy, would at least forgive him or 
probably have forgotten him; and so, he decided to 
return to his friends in the city. In appearance, he 
was somewhat changed. The period of seclusion in 
the Arabian seminary gave him the aspect of one 
who had learned to deny himself and one who had 
learned to serve and obey. His friends were happy 
to see him again in their midst; some were extremely 
inquisitive about his sojourn in Arabia; others held 
themselves aloof from him; but the majority of the 
Catholics trusted Saul and wished that he should 
become one of the workers of the Church. Saul had 
been preordained by God to know His Holy Will and 
to see the Just One; he was "an Apostle, not of men, 
neither by man, but by Jesus." The Gospel that he 
was to preach was given to him "by the revelation 
of Jesus" to go "among the Gentiles." He received 
his vocation from Jesus Himself, but like every 
other apostle to this very day, he realized that it was 
first necessary to receive some instructions in order 
to be ordained to the Priesthood; and then, it was 
obligatory to receive permission from the proper 

62 



"Dont Trust the Convert!" 63 

authority of the Church to preach and teach "among 
the Gentiles." 

This proper authority was St. Peter, the first Pope. 
Saul went to see the Pope in Jerusalem. He ex- 
plicitly stated that he saw none of the other Apostles, 
but went directly "to see Peter," the Prince of the 
Apostles. Saul knew that it was to St. Peter that 
Jesus once said: "Thou art Peter, and upon this 
rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hell 
shall not prevail against it." He also knew that after 
Our Dear Lord asked St. Peter whether he loved 
Him, and he told Him that he did, it was then that 
Jesus said: "Feed My Lambs." When Jesus asked 
for the second time if he loved Him, and again re- 
ceived a reply in the affirmative, Jesus answered: 
"Feed My Lambs." The third time when Jesus 
asked if he really loved Him, St. Peter breaking forth 
in tears exclaimed: "Lord, Thou knowest that I 
love Thee," and Jesus replied: "Feed My Sheep." 
Thus Saul knew that St. Peter was not only the 
"Rock" upon which Jesus built His Church, but that 
he was the Chief Shepherd of the Good Shepherd's 
Fold, the Visible Head of Christ's Church — the Com- 
mander-in-Chief of Christ's Army. 

Saul recognized St. Peter as the first Pope, whose 
primacy all faithful and learned Catholics, as well as 
erudite and unprejudiced non-Catholics, have always 
admitted. To St. Peter and his lawful successors 
down to the present Pope, Benedict XV., all true 
Catholics give their allegiance as soldiers in the 
Army of Christ. As patriots of America, we obey 



64 Paul, Hero and Saint 

our President at Washington; and as good Catholics, 
we obey our Pope in Rome. Rome is the capital of 
our Church; and Washington is the capital of our 
Country. A good Catholic is always a good citizen 
of the country to which he belongs. If he is not a 
good citizen, then he is likewise not a good Catholic. 
Saul was both a good citizen and a good Catholic, 

In order to begin the great work of his vocation, 
Saul went to the proper authority for advice and 
permission. He not only went to see St. Peter, but 
he remained with him and consulted him for fifteen 
days. The conferences were held in the quiet rooms 
of the Bishop of Jerusalem, where St. James also 
heard Saul's story and placed great confidence in the 
new convert. Saul was to be the vessel of election 
to the Gentile world; he was to go forth teaching and 
baptizing all nations "in the Name of the Father and 
of the Son and of the Holy Ghost." It was the great- 
est work ever undertaken by human beings. The 
Caesars of Rome had conquered the nations of the 
world by force, and held the weakened minds and 
bodies of men in subjection by the power of a mili- 
tary system; but this new conquest of the world was 
to be made by gentleness and humility over the souls 
of men, through the power of the Crucified Saviour. 
That was, indeed, a vast and almost impossible 
undertaking! 

St. Peter told the members of the Church about 
Saul and his proposed work. The majority of the 
Catholics in Jerusalem believed in the work of "Cath- 
olic Extension" amongst Catholics, but the idea of a 



"Don't Trust the Convert!" 65 

"Society for the Propagation of the Faith" into for- 
eign lands did not meet with their immediate ap- 
proval. Saul openly proposed to convert the Gentile 
world, and this proved a "stumbling-block" for the 
converts from the Jewish Church. Saul's intentions 
were misinterpreted; his motives were mistrusted; 
and his Catholicity was even questioned. It was 
difficult to convince many people that Saul was a 
Catholic. They remembered him as the persecutor 
and suspected him as a "spy." The common ex- 
pression with reference to Saul was: "Don't trust 
the Convert." 

It was very hard for Saul to bear such treatment. 
He had come into the Church neither to gain glory 
nor wealth. No! He required no money, for he 
was in comfortable circumstances; he cared not for 
glory, since he enjoyed all that his heart desired as 
a "man of God" in the Jewish Church; and he 
sought not a greater name in the world, for he was 
called "the learned Rabbi" from the school of Gama- 
liel. No! Nothing induced Saul to become a Cath- 
olic, but Jesus alone. He plainly told his friends 
and adversaries that he gloried in nothing "save the 
Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ," by Whom the 
world was crucified unto him and he to the world. 
Saul was a real, true and honest convert. It was 
unfair to accuse him of false ambitions. Most un- 
doubtedly, he had a hard struggle with himself until 
he became reconciled to his conversion, and then in 
payment for his sorrow and suffering, he was greeted 
daily with the contemptible words: "Don't trust the 



66 Paul, Hero and Saint 

Convert." However, like all persecuted men, Saul 
found some true friends to assist him and promote 
his cause. The most prominent of these friends was 
his school companion, Barnabas, whose words of 
comfort meant more than hundreds of disinterested 
suggestions of the "don't worry" type. A helping 
hand was much better than a sign post. 

St. Peter and Barnabas had proven that they were 
Saul's most loyal supporters, but owing to the violent 
opposition which they encountered from others, it 
was decided to postpone Saul's mission to the Gen- 
tile world until some less turbulent times. After 
fifteen days of consultation and planning, it was de- 
termined that Saul should go back to his "own home 
town" of Tarsus for a short time and await develop- 
ments. It was pleasant to go back to Tarsus to view 
the scenes of his childhood; but Saul could readily 
see the apparent hatred of the Jews and the open 
mistrust of the Catholics for him. The whole world 
seemed to despise him. Jesus was his only true 
consolation. He would not become discouraged. 
No! He would wait for the orders from Jesus and 
the commands from St. Peter. Despite all the at- 
tacks of the enemy, he would as a soldier of Christ 
"remain faithful." 

No time was to be lost. Saul set to work and lost 
no time in worrying about what people said or 
thought of him. Public opinion and false human re- 
spect were cast to the winds. He was on the right 
side — with Jesus. What reason had he to worry? 
He smiled and worked at his old trade of tent-mak- 



"Bout Trust the Convert!" 67 

ing. "Spy" the Catholics called him. "Traitor" the 
Jews named him. The winds of gossip carried their 
message through the market place to the synagogue, 
and from the tent factory to the Church. Saul heard 
the insidous words so often: "Don't trust the Con- 
vert!" He said nothing — he only smiled and thought 
of his Crucified Saviour. He had made his confes- 
sion to God; the world saw to it that he performed 
his penance! 



CHAPTER XII 

The Starving Catholics in Jerusalem 

The word "victory" is a very pleasing word to 
everybody, except to those who have suffered defeat. 
A victory may bring great honor and glory to a coun- 
try, but it has its own great price even for the con- 
queror. It takes a great deal of money, much work, 
and the sacrifice of innumerable lives to win a single 
battle. The first Catholics realized this in their bat- 
tles with the Jews and Gentiles. The Apostles were 
skilled generals, and the first soldiers of Christ's 
Army were disciplined and well-trained for hard 
fighting. All worked under the direction of their 
Commander-in-Chief for one end, namely, "Victory." 
In order to help one another, they held all their goods 
in common. They sold their possessions and divided 
them according to the needs of the poor; they perse- 
vered in the truths, which Jesus taught the Apostles; 
they "broke Bread," that is, they received Holy Com- 
munion frequently; and, they never ceased to pray 
for their poor friends imprisoned in the dungeons of 
Jerusalem. Suffering was accepted with heroic pa- 
tience. The wounded Church could not die. No! 
It would always regain its health; and tried in the 
school of persecution, it was to become stronger and 
stronger. 

68 



The Starving Catholics in Jerusalem 69 

The Apostles had gone to various parts of the 
world to convert all nations unto Christ, and they 
were indeed most successful. The Catholic Church, 
although severely persecuted, was increasing so 
rapidly in numbers, that its enemies were frantic 
with anger and jealousy. In the town of Antioch, 
the Church seemed to be making its greatest prog- 
ress; accordingly, St. Peter sent Barnabas to that city 
to take charge of afTairs, and direct the priests to 
"keep up the good work/* until he could come to 
their city. Barnabas knew that he could not do all 
the work alone, and thus he asked his old companion, 
the humble tent maker of Tarsus, to be one of his 
assistants. Saul was only too willing to accept such 
an offer. He was as lively as ever, and the time 
spent at tent-making was not lost; he studied all the 
objections against the Church and could answer 
them; he had become a real debater, and he was pre- 
pared for the worst enemies of the Church. Thus 
trained and prepared for the battles of the Church 
with the non-Catholic world, Saul accompanied 
Barnabas on his journey to Antioch; here through 
the kind influence of Barnabas, the people placed 
their trust in him and loved him for his untiring 
zeal on their behalf. Saul was slowly nearing the 
goal of his life's ambition; Jesus was clearing the 
way for him. 

Antioch was in its glory! Jerusalem was in mis- 
ery. Barnabas and Saul were attaining success, 
while St. Peter was thrown into prison and awaited 
the sentence of death. St. James, the brother of St. 



70 Paul, Hero and Saint 

John, was put to death most cruelly by the sword of 
Herod Agrippa, who had solemnly determined to 
crush the Catholic Church. Jerusalem was sad in- 
deed! To make matters worse, a famine broke out 
in the city, and messengers came to Antioch to tell 
Barnabas and Saul of the frightful state of the poor 
Catholics. The Catholic Church was like one big 
family, whose members were always willing and 
ready to help their weaker brothers and sisters; 
hence, a collection was taken up in Antioch for the 
sufferers in Jerusalem. 

Barnabas and Saul were selected to take the money 
to the stricken city, and also to administer the conso- 
lations of religion to the suffering members of the 
Church. They went directly to Jerusalem and lodged 
at the house of John Mark and his good mother, 
Mary, who were relatives of Barnabas. While they 
remained in the city, no opportunity was lost in giv- 
ing genuine help to the poor and starving Catholics; 
the money was not lost or spent for novelties and ad- 
vertising, but it was used in purchasing food and 
clothing for the deserving poor and needy sufferers. 
In the midst of this relief work, two extraordinary 
things happened, to which the heroic workers could 
point as the work of God in behalf of the struggling 
Church. St. Peter had been freed from prison in the 
most miraculous manner. The people, of course, 
had been praying constantly for St. Peter's release, 
but they never expected that he would come forth 
from the prison in the manner that he did. An 
Angel of the Lord came to him in the darkness and 



The Starving Catholics in Jerusalem 71 

silence of the night; bidden suddenly to arise, the 
chains fell from his hands; he was led by the Angel 
through the prison ward to the gates of the prison; 
the iron gates swung open wide "by the power of 
God;" and St. Peter was free! Bewildered by the 
rapid turn of events, he imagined that he was dream- 
ing and that the Angel was only a vision; however, 
the whole Church soon realized that their Com- 
mander-in-Chief had in reality been released from 
the hands of the cruel King Herod. St. Peter's Guar- 
dian Angel had not forsaken him! No! As every 
Catholic cannot fail to admit that he or she has been 
assisted in one or many ways by the helping hand 
of a Guardian Angel, so, too, did St. Peter realize 
that the Angels, whom Jesus once said "always see 
the face of My Father, Who is in Heaven," were 
"ministering spirits, sent to minister for them, who 
shall receive the inheritance of salvation." One of 
these Guardian Angels ministering between God and 
the Visible Head of His Church had opened the gates 
of Herod's prison. Going immediately to the house 
of Mary the good mother of Mark, the joyful Pope 
stood and knocked at the gate. The little congrega- 
tion was gathered together in prayer, and, upon 
hearing that St. Peter stood before the gate, they cried 
out: "It is an Angel!" It was not an Angel that 
stood in their midst, but one rescued by an Angel 
Guardian ! 

You can easily understand that the meeting of St. 
Peter with Barnabas and Saul, as well as the union 
of the Great Shepherd with his scattered sheep, must 



72 Paul, Hero and Saint 

have been an extremely joyful event in Jerusalem. 
How grateful the Pope was to Barnabas and Saul for 
their help! How thankful he was to the good 
Church at Antioch! Truly the Catholics were one 
and the same all over the world, and they were truly 
united under One Visible Ruler, the Pope! 

Although the many Churches were led by different 
Shepherds or Bishops, yet there was always that one 
fact which was acknowledged by all, namely, that 
they were all directed by the One Great Shepherd, St. 
Peter. Barnabas and Saul spoke to St. Peter and 
they together made plans for the new work of con- 
verting the Gentiles or pagans. The Apostles and 
their Priests had heretofore worked almost exclu- 
sively among the Jewish people, but Barnabas and 
Saul wished to form an Extension Society, which 
would not only extend to all the Catholics of the Ro- 
man Empire, but also reach out to the farthest ends 
of the Gentile world. It was a vast undertaking! 
However, with God's help all things were possible — 
when permission was granted by the proper author- 
ity. They received the approval of St. Peter, and 
had only to await the time when they could leave 
their work at Antioch, for their labors in the west- 
ern world. 

The work at Jerusalem was finished. Barnabas 
and Saul prepared for their return to Antioch. On 
the way they passed through Caesarea, a city which 
had been built and beautified by Herod the Great. 
A temple of magnificent polished marble could be 
seen; a grand palace served as the residence of the 



The Starving Catholics in Jerusalem 73 

Roman governor; various institutions of learning for 
the purpose of Grecianizing and Romanizing the Jews 
were scattered about the city; and a grand circus 
ring or hippodrome over one thousand feet in length 
was built to the east of the city. It was a beautiful 
city, and no money was spared to make it modern in 
every respect. 

When Barnabas and Saul passed through the city, 
they beheld a different picture of life from that which 
they had witnessed in Jerusalem. The whole city 
was turned into a carnival. The people were dressed 
as merrymakers. It was a victory celebration ! The 
Emperor Claudius had just returned to Rome as 
Conqueror of Britain; and all the governors 
and rulers of the whole Roman Empire gave the 
people a holiday in honor of their victorious Em- 
peror. Great crowds were gathered in Caesarea. 
The people assembled in the capital of the Roman 
province of Syria for the purpose of attending the 
"victory games" in the Amphitheatre. King Herod 
had given a large sum of money for the celebration, 
in return for which he hoped to receive a promotion 
or additional honors from the Emperor. 

Herod, being very proud and conscious of his 
power over the people, came to the Amphitheatre, 
dressed in a robe of white silk covered with gold 
laces; an ermine cloak hung from his shoulders; 
and upon his head rested a diamond-studded crown. 
The crowds were all arranged in their tiers and com- 
partments; every inch of space in the vast building 
was occupied; one row after another in the balconies 



74 Paul, Hero and Saint 

was filled to overflowing. Hats and caps waved to 
and fro; the applause was deafening; the throngs 
were anxious for the games to begin; and the various 
supporters of the champions called out the names of 
their favorites. As the first fighters entered the ring, 
the crowds were cheering, but abruptly, like the 
silence that follows the sudden appearance of a 
storm, the crowds seemed to hold their breath in 
reverence and awe. They gazed upon the beautiful 
form of King Herod, as he stood in the glory of the 
morning's sun. He had come forth so unexpectedly 
that nobody realized at once that it was the King. 
His robes of silk and gold gave him the appearance 
not of a king, but of an Angel from Heaven! Some 
one shouted, "a god! a god!" and immediately the 
crowds bowed their heads and lifted up their voices 
in adoration, "a god!" "a god!" Herod accepted the 
honor with his usual pride. He seated himself upon 
his throne, and seemed to rejoice that his glory was 
approaching that of the radiant sun. He began to 
think that he was "a god" among the pagan deities, 
and arose to acknowledge the applause of the crowds. 
However, as he arose to his feet to accept the tribute 
from his flatterers, he suddenly fell to the ground 
with an agonizing groan. 

The Angel of the Lord had stricken him! He was 
unable to walk and had to be led from the theatre 
by his soldiers to the castle. No one could be in- 
duced to go near Herod's bedside; the stench and 
nature of his disease was so horrible, that only the 
soldiers attended to his wants, and answered his 



The Starving Catholics in Jerusalem 75 

cries in his dying hours. Abandoned by everybody, 
and suffering the most excruciating torments of both 
soul and body, the glorious pagan "god," the noble 
"king," and the cruel "persecutor" of the Catholic 
Church, died a criminal's death. God had again pun- 
ished the enemies of the true Church! Barnabas 
and Saul praised God for His power over their 
enemies, and made their way in silence to Antioch. 
They had seen the sorrows of Jerusalem and the 
glory of Caesarea! They had witnessed the defeat of 
Herod, and they had rejoiced in the victory of Christ! 



CHAPTER XIII 
Ready for Overseas Work 

The Church at Antioch greeted Barnabas and Saul, 
as though they were two soldiers returning from 
the battlefields of some distant land. They were 
proclaimed the heroes of the hour ! A great deal had 
been accomplished in their short visit to the perse- 
cuted and starving Church in Jerusalem; and the 
zealous relief workers had returned with wonderful 
stories of their victory over the enemies of the 
Church. The account of St. Peter's escape from 
prison was repeatedly told; and the horrible death 
of Herod was related over and over again to the 
awe-stricken crowds. Everybody was satisfied that 
the work of Barnabas and Saul was verily a splen- 
did success. Greater things could be expected of 
such good shepherds! 

A young man, of whom we have heard before, came 
with Barnabas and Saul from Jerusalem to Antioch. 
He thought that he had a vocation to the Priesthood, 
and wished to begin his studies under the guidance 
of the Church at Antioch. He was commonly called 
"Mark," but his complete name was "John Mark." 
Being quite timid and boyish in his ways, he did not 
appeal very strongly to Saul; but, since he was a 
relative of Barnabas, he was to be given a trial, with 

76 



Ready for Overseas Work 77 

the hope of making a man out of him. In due time 
he was proposed to the Church authorities as one of 
its workers, and was accepted as a student to assist 
Barnabas and Saul. 

While engaged once more with the work of the 
Church at Antioch, Barnabas and Saul were daily 
confronted with the old disputes concerning the ac- 
ceptance of converts from paganism. The clannish- 
ness of the Jewish converts was overbearing! They 
seemed to think that the Catholic Church was insti- 
tuted for no one else, except converts from the Jew- 
ish Church. They selfishly wished to deprive the 
Gentiles of the grace of God! A final settlement of 
the question was attempted, when Barnabas and Saul 
told the people how St. Peter himself had gone to 
Caesarea, where he baptized and received into the 
Church a certain Roman officer named Cornelius. 
It was explained that St. Peter had also baptized the 
wife and children of the Gentile officer, and then re- 
ceived them into the Church with the converts from 
Judaism. It was a hard blow to the severe and 
rigorous members of the Church. The pagans, it 
was true, did actually worship false gods and idols, 
but Jesus came not only to save the Jewish people, 
but as the Saviour of the world, He died for the pa- 
gans as well as the Jews. All men were privileged 
to be converted to the Church of Christ! St. Peter 
had formerly been a rigorist himself, but he had 
listened to the voice of God, Who had told him that 
"God is not a respecter of persons, but in every na- 
tion, he that feareth Him, and worketh justice, is 



78 Paul, Hero and Saint 

acceptable to Him." What God had made perfect 
and called to the cleansing waters of Baptism, no one 
was to call "unclean." The hypocrites within the 
Church were dumbfounded! St. Peter did another 
extraordinary thing — he went to pagan Rome! 

Barnabas and Saul could point with pride to the 
example set for them by their Commander-in-Chief. 
If St. Peter labored among the Gentiles, why should 
they not also begin the great work, which had always 
been their life's ambition? Little by little, they be- 
gan to hear how St. Peter, on his way to Rome, had 
sown the seeds of the Catholic religion in the pagan 
cities of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and 
Bithynia. Saul was extremely interested. Surely, 
other Priests would care for the Church of Antioch 
and Jerusalem — if Saul were only allowed to go to 
the Gentiles! A meeting of the Clergy was held at 
Antioch, and it was decided to release Barnabas and 
Saul for the Gentile Missions. The whole Church of 
Antioch went on a "retreat;" the people fasted and 
prayed, that the Holy Spirit might enlighten them 
and tell them what to do; finally the Holy Spirit told 
the Prophets and Doctors of the Church that it was 
God's Will, that Barnabas and Saul should go upon 
the Mission to the Gentiles. 

Barnabas and Saul were then ordained to the 
Priesthood of the Catholic Church; they received the 
power to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and to 
confer the Sacraments upon the faithful; they were 
commanded to preach the Word of God and to teach 
Christian Doctrine to all nations. It was the most 



Ready for Overseas Work 79 

sublime and happy moment of their lives — the golden 
hour of their Ordination! They had said their First 
Mass! They had pronounced the mystic words of 
consecration for the first time! They had received 
the Bread of Life from the hands of the officiating 
Prelate! The Bishop's hands had been imposed 
upon them, and they were given the priestly power 
of loosing and binding upon earth what was to be 
loosed and bound also in Heaven. Saul's heart beat 
with a rhapsody of joy as the assembled Priests and 
Bishops imposed their hands upon his bowed head. 
He never forgot the soul-inspiring hymn, "Come 
Holy Spirit." Priests they were "forever, according 
to the order of Melchisedech," and Bishops, for the 
virgin dioceses of the Gentile world. Saul realized 
the great responsibility of becoming a Bishop, or 
"Overseer" of the Church; and his solemn Conse- 
cration convinced him that, "in the Sign of the 
Cross," he would conquer all things. His heart and 
soul were aglow with a vehement love for Jesus; he 
longed to suffer all things for Christ; he wished to 
give his last drop of life's blood for Christ's Church; 
he was willing to be esteemed a fool for Christ; yes, 
he was henceforth to live for Jesus and for the glory 
of His Holy Church! 

Barnabas and Saul were Priests and Bishops of 
the Catholic Church. They had been tested and tried 
in the seminary of their apostolic vocation, and now 
they were honored with the jurisdiction of the entire 
Gentile world. They were to baptize and confirm, to 
preach the Gospel, to teach Christian Doctrine, "to 



80 Paul, Hero and Saint 

break the Bread of Life" in the Sacrifice of the Mass; 
they were to forgive sins; they were to bind in the 
bonds of Christian Marriage the faithful of Christ; 
they were to administer to the sick and the dying; 
and they were to ordain other Priests for the work of 
converting the Gentile world. Such were the labors 
of the Overseers, or Bishops. 

The world into which they were going was a new 
world, toward which Jesus Himself had turned His 
eyes, from the Cross of Calvary's summit. As Jesus 
once gazed into the blood-reddened skies afar, Saul 
gazed into the fertile fields of the golden west, with 
the hope of bringing "Christ Crucified" to the heart 
of the Gentile world — Rome. That was Saul's ambi- 
tion! It could be nothing less than Rome itself, for 
Saul's zeal for the glory of his God and Master knew 
no mediocre ideal nor half-hearted ambition. His 
ambition was to reach the heart of the Roman Em- 
pire! His ideal was to reach the Sacred Heart of 
Jesus in eternity! 



CHAPTER XIV 

When "Saul" Became "Paul" 

"Step lively! Step lively!" was the militant order 
of Saul to his raw recruit, the easy-going Mark. 
Barnabas and Saul were in the lead toward the boat 
at Seleucia, but Mark, in his boyish "never-worry" 
manner, came strolling along with his baggage at 
some distance. Throughout the whole journey 
from Antioch to Seleucia the Missionaries had talked 
about their future plans. Their first Mission was to 
be established on the Island of Cyprus; it was the 
home of Barnabas, and naturally they expected to 
receive a kind reception from his many friends. The 
ship left the port of Seleucia, and after sailing about 
sixty miles, the port of Salamis on the Island of 
Cyprus was reached. Salamis was the home town 
of Barnabas, and Mark had many friends there; so 
believing in the old proverb that "charity begins at 
home," the Missionaries concluded that their first 
work should be among their friends in this town. 
Barnabas was highly respected by all the people, and 
thus readily gained their confidence toward Saul. 
Like St. John the Baptist, who realized that he was 
to decrease while Christ increased in power and fame 
among all men, Barnabas, no doubt, realized that 
Saul was soon to become his superior. He could 

81 



82 Paul, Hero and Saint 

easily understand that the energetic Apostle was 
born for the greater things of life, and thus he felt 
that, under circumstances and difficulties that might 
hinder others toward success, Saul would eventually 
come forth as the victor. Forgetting his own glory, 
Barnabas became as the voice of one crying in the 
wilderness and heralded the coming of Saul. 

The town of Salamis had seen and heard the three 
Missionaries. The seed of Christian Doctrine had 
been sown, and the sowers of the Word of God went 
westward about one hundred miles through the fer- 
tile plains of Cyprus to the city of Paphos. The city 
was always filled with sinners and pleasure seekers; 
here vices were called virtues; evil was considered 
goodness; God was unknown to the majority of the 
people. However, in the midst of such wickedness, 
one very good person was found, and he was the 
Roman Governor, Sergius Paulus. 

The Governor heard of the wonderful preaching 
of Barnabas and Saul and wished to satisfy his curi- 
osity, by personally speaking to the Missionaries. 
He wanted them to tell him all about the new 
Church; the invitation was accepted at once by Saul. 
Now, in the court of the Governor, there was a 
magician, who pretended to have certain myste- 
rious powers over men and things. He could easily 
change water into ink; he could make things appear 
and disappear; roses were made to grow at his com- 
mand; and money he cleverly drew out of the air. 
It was simply wonderful, how easily he performed 
his "tricks!" He was able to manipulate things so 



When "Saul" Became "Paul" 83 

rapidly that your eyes were either too slow to follow 
his quick movements, or you were distracted by 
something else, while he pretended to perform his 
"mystic wonders." Of course, nowadays people un- 
derstand that a magician merely performs tricks by 
natural means; he does not have a group of satellites, 
who are supposed to be evil spirits, constantly at his 
beck and call to assist him. Sometimes you see the 
picture of a magician surrounded by little spirits, 
who are either whispering into his ears or dancing 
around his magic wand, but, you know, it is only a 
picture and has no real meaning to enlightened peo- 
ple. However, in the days of Saul many poor and 
ignorant people believed that these magicians were 
assisted by Satan and other evil spirits in the per- 
formance of merely natural wonders; the result was, 
that the uneducated people were afraid of magicians, 
and paid them vast sums of money for superstitious 
purposes. 

When Barnabas and Saul came before the Gover- 
nor, one of these magicians, named Elymas, entered 
the room and tried to convince the good Governor 
that Saul was a liar. He wished to prove that the 
religion of Jesus was not the religion of the true 
God. The main reason for this attack was, that 
Elymas knew of Saul's purpose to expose him and 
his superstitious tricks before all the people. The 
magicians made a very good living with their decep- 
tions and did not wish to be annoyed by Barnabas 
and Saul, whose religion did not tolerate superstition 
and the so-called magic arts. You can easily under- 



84 Paul, Hero and Saint 

stand why Elymas opposed Saul, and tried to influ- 
ence the Governor to drive the Missionaries out of 
the city. Saul had explained the Catholic Religion 
to Sergius, but Elymas, fearful that the Governor 
might be converted, quickly interrupted Saul's con- 
versation, by attempting to persuade his ruler that 
the whole story of Jesus was untrue. It was rather 
provoking to have a stranger thus intrude and deny 
all that Saul and Barnabas knew to be true, but Saul 
understood quite well why the magician opposed 
him. 

What did Saul do? No time was to be lost upon 
deceivers! Saul suddenly turned toward Elymas 
and, filled with the power of the Holy Ghost, told the 
intruder that "the Hand of the Lord" was upon him, 
and that for his insult to the Church of Jesus, he 
would be made blind. The punishment was great, 
but as God in His Justice always punished the perse- 
cutors of His Church, so, too, did "the Hand of God" 
close the eyes of Elymas. Scarcely had Saul uttered 
the warning, when the great magician fell to the 
floor, and writhing in pain, cried out: "I am 
blind!" He could see no more! the sun was hidden! 
all was darkness! he begged his friends to lead him 
to his home. 

It was the master stroke of Saul, who called upon 
God's power to destroy the influence of the magician 
upon the Governor. Sergius Paulus realized that 
Saul had told him the truth, and that the new Church 
must be the true Church of Jesus, Who was the 
Messiah and the Redeemer of all mankind. The 



When "Saul" Became "Paul" 85 

Governor had been converted! He believed! Noth- 
ing more was to be done, excepting that the convert 
should be "born again of Water and the Holy Ghost." 
He was soon to become a child of God and an heir of 
Heaven; he was no longer to be called "a Gentile;" 
he was soon to become "a Christian!" 

Saul stood before his convert in admiration. The 
day of the Roman Ruler's conversion was not to be 
forgotten. Saul's whole life had been changed on 
the day of his own conversion on the road to Damas- 
cus, and now in honor of the conversion of his illus- 
trious friend, the Roman Governor, Sergius Paulus, 
he was to change his name from "Saul" to "Paul." 
The changing of his name was not a mere bit of 
sentiment, but it was a deliberate act of the "Apostle 
to the Gentiles," whereby he showed his prudence 
and wisdom in adapting himself in a practical way 
to Roman and Grecian environment. Far from ever 
being ashamed of his Jewish ancestry, he only con- 
formed to the best means of obtaining results in his 
labors with the Gentile world. His knowledge of 
the Greek language and his determined use of the 
name "Paul" made a decided appeal to the people, 
with whom he expected to live, labor and die. Hence- 
forth he was not "Saul," "the one desired" or "the 
one prayed for," but he was "the little one" or "the 
humble one of Christ"— PAUL. 



CHAPTER XV 
"I Want to go Home!" 

The work at Paphos was a grand success! Not 
only were many converts made, but most important 
of all, the Governor himself was baptized and became 
a Catholic. Paul was aglow with enthusiasm. Like 
a business man, when he manages to obtain large 
orders and feels confident that the "goods will be 
delivered," so Paul rejoiced over his success in secur- 
ing converts, and was confident that the Catholic 
Church would give the necessary satisfaction and 
consolation to everybody. There were to be no dis- 
satisfied customers! No disgruntled converts! 
Everybody was to be perfectly contented to live and 
die as members of the Church of Jesus. Paul con- 
stantly told the members of his little flock that "once 
a Catholic" meant that a convert should be "always 
a Catholic." Knowing from experience that those 
Catholics, who drifted away from the Church never 
made good non-Catholics, Paul felt that such losses 
would not affect the Church very much. Like a true 
soldier, who always fights to the last and heroically 
dies rather than betray his country, Paul felt con- 
fident that the soldiers of Christ's Church would be 
ready to fight and even to die for their Faith. 

With such thoughts of confidence in their new con- 

86 



"J Want to Go Home!" 8? 

verts, Paul and Barnabas set out with Mark for Asia 
Minor in order to visit the town of Perga in Para- 
philia. At Paphos they found the people worshipping 
Venus; but upon their arrival at Perga, they dis- 
covered that the inhabitants were adoring Diana, 
who was supposed to be a special patroness and care- 
taker of the shepherds and their flocks. It was a sad 
sight to see the poor ignorant people adoring stone 
images and statues made in honor of this goddess, 
and the task of drawing the people away from such 
foolishness was quite a big undertaking for the Mis- 
sionaries. But it had to be done ! It was the work of 
God, to convert these pagans to the true God! Paul 
and Barnabas outlined their campaign and began 
their work at once. 

The work of making Catholics out of idolaters was 
a vast undertaking and implied an unusual amount 
of bravery on the part of the Missionaries. Paul 
and Barnabas were filled with zeal for the growth 
of the Church and nothing lessened their enthusiasm; 
however, the work at Perga was rendered more dif- 
ficult because of some trouble that they experienced 
with the third member of the party. Mark was weak- 
ening in his novitiate, and showed signs of wishing 
to abandon the life of a Missionary. The novelty 
of Missionary work was wearing off; and the hard- 
ships, insults and privations began to change the 
young man from a jolly, easy-going and ambitious 
Missionary into a dissatisfied and homesick boy. 

Paul and Barnabas had talked about the dangers 
of their proposed journey through the Taurus Moun- 



88 Paul, Hero and Saint 

tains, and poor Mark was somewhat alarmed at his 
future prospects with robbers, wild animals, violent 
storms and the venturesome outdoor life in the for- 
ests. Then again, no doubt, he thought of his good 
mother in Jerusalem. He wished to support her and 
had always hoped to be true to her, in return for 
what she had done for him. It was hard to leave a 
good mother in Jerusalem and set out on a Mission- 
ary expedition, but Mark had made the sacrifice will- 
ingly and with his good mother's consent. However, 
once engaged in the work, he had tasted its bitterness, 
and all the glamour and glory of his former ideal of 
what a missionary life should be, passed away. He 
was "homesick," and as some soldiers cried out be- 
fore the armistice was signed in the late World War, 
that they wanted to go home, so Mark also wished 
that the work would soon "be finished" and whis- 
pered to Paul, "I want to go home." 

You can well imagine what a captain would say to 
any soldier of his company were he to say: "I want 
to go home." The language might not be printable, 
but it would express what he thought of the young 
"tenderfoot;" and, as his power was subject to some 
higher authority, that demanded such a soldier be 
taught the lesson of "fighting to the end," he would 
naturally advise the first-sergeant to put the youth 
on "special duty," where he could "do nothing but 
saw wood" or possibly act as one of the world-re- 
nowned "kitchen police" force. It seems a rather 
rigorous treatment for "homesickness," but it gener- 
ally affects a "cure." Paul was somewhat military in 



"/ Want to Go Homer 89 

his methods, and felt that Mark deserved some repri- 
mand; however, since Paul fully realized the dangers 
and possible death that they would be forced to meet 
face to face, he pitied the poor easy-going Mark, 
whom he only more or less tolerated because of his 
relationship to Barnabas, and willingly permitted 
him to return to his mother in Jerusalem. Paul gave 
him an honorable discharge. Although Mark had 
been a source of comfort to both Paul and Barnabas, 
yet they were satisfied that he would have been phys- 
ically unable to undergo the privations and sufferings 
of the journey through the wilderness. 

Mark sailed for home; Paul and Barnabas began 
climbing the slopes of Mount Taurus. It was a dan- 
gerous trip, but they felt that Jesus would be their 
protector, and under His leadership they had nothing 
to fear. If robbers attacked them, they would not 
obtain very much; if bandits captured them, Jesus 
would set them free; and, if wild beasts frightened 
or molested them, the Saviour would save them. 
With such sentiments in their hearts, they slowly 
made their way into the dense forests of the moun- 
tains. Some nights they found shelter in a poor 
shepherd's hut, and quite often they were forced 
to sleep beneath the starry skies of heaven or in some 
moss-covered cave. The overflowing rivers and the 
wild rushing floods of the mountain streams would 
ofttimes destroy everything in their path. Food was 
scarce and, with the little money the Missionaries had 
in their possession, they could purchase nothing in 
the wilderness. In fewer words, it was a most dan- 



90 Paul, Hero and Saint 

gerous trip of about eight days, and Paul and Bar- 
nabas could easily feel satisfied that it was the Will 
of God that young Mark did not accompany them. 

After such an exciting journey, during which the 
brave Paul and the sturdy Barnabas overcame so 
many dangers, they finally walked into the city of 
Antioch in Pisidia. In this place, they immediately 
entered the synagogue of the Jews and preached the 
Gospel of Jesus. Paul explained the whole history of 
the fulfillment of the Prophecies concerning the Mes- 
siah; and many Jews readily accepted the teaching of 
Paul by becoming Catholics. The Mission at Antioch 
would have been very successful had it not been for 
the bitter opposition of some few Jews, who in turn 
influenced the majority against Paul. The result 
was, that, after a short time, the Missionaries turned 
away from the Jews and began to work among the 
Gentiles or pagans. These people were quite fasci- 
nated with the "Good News," and came into the 
Church in large numbers; this in turn made the 
Jews more angry and troublesome, so that Paul and 
Barnabas "shook off the dust of their feet against 
them" and went to the city of Iconium. The seed of 
God's Word was sown; the new Converts would 
water the ground with their blood in martyrdom, if 
the occasion demanded it; and God would attend 
to the increase of souls for the Church. Paul and 
Barnabas could not be discouraged. In the bright 
lexicon of Paul's youth, there was no such a word as 
"failure;" he believed that with God's help "all things 
were possible." 



'7 Want to Go Homer 91 

The Missionaries had been cast out of the city, 
while their work was most effectively showing results. 
Paul would not worry ! No ! Not Paul ! He was not 
built that way. He smiled and laughed with Bar- 
nabas. "In another hundred years all our enemies 
will be dead!" 



CHAPTER XVI 

The Cripple at Lystra 

Paul and Barnabas had traveled about sixty miles 
before they arrived at the base of Mount Taurus, 
where Iconium formed a sort of an oasis for travelers, 
after their journey over the rough rolling hills. 
They were, indeed, tired after such an arduous jour- 
ney over the arid plain, but the fact that they had 
safely arrived at their destination, was sufficient to 
satisfy them. Barnabas began to work immediately 
among the Greeks of the city, while Paul went into 
the synagogues of the Jews and the homes of the 
Gentiles. It was in Iconium that Paul preached a 
most eloquent sermon on the subject of Chastity and 
Virginity. Opposite the place where Paul preached, 
a certain good woman sat at her latticed window and 
listened to Paul's sermon to the little congregation 
which had assembled for the "Breaking of Bread." 
This good woman was none other than the Virgin, 
named Thecla, who later became the first woman 
martyr of the Church. Tradition tells us that she be- 
came one of Paul's converts, and not only dedicated 
her virginity to Christ, but also gave her time, money 
and untiring service to the work of Christian Educa- 
tion at Iconium. Escaping death at the stake, she 
went to Antioch in Pisidia, and was there miraculously 

92 



The Cripple at Lystra 93 

freed from the ravages of wild beasts; however, after 
an exciting life in the encouragement of the virginal 
life and in constantly promoting Christian Education, 
Thecla finally ended her laborious life with the crown 
of martyrdom, as her glorious prize for eternity. 

The work of making Catholics out of these Jews, 
who had been trained to live like Greeks and followed 
many Roman customs, was somewhat encouraging; 
however, as a result of Paul's zeal and activity, a 
dispute arose between the Gentiles and the Jews. 
The controversy developed into a general feud, with 
the result that Paul's life was threatened. Like a 
wide-awake detective, Paul soon discovered the secret 
intrigues of his enemies, and before the appointed 
time for stoning him to death, he and Barnabas fled 
from the city to Lystra. 

Lystra was a little town with a big record for 
wickedness. It had been famous for many years as 
the home of highway robbers. The people never 
heard of the true God, and prayed in their temples 
to some supposed god, whom they called Jupiter, 
the king of all pagan gods. Paul found no syna- 
gogue here and was obliged to preach the Gospel of 
Jesus on the streets and in the parks. No one had 
ever preached such wonderful things to these in- 
habitants of Lystra before, and hence they were much 
pleased with Paul and Barnabas. In the midst of 
one of his sermons, a poor cripple came into the 
crowd. Paul pitied him very much, for he had 
heard that the young man had been born a cripple 
and that no doctor could cure him. The poor man 



94 Paul, Hero and Saint 

crept forward and by degrees came near to Paul; 
he looked up into the eyes of the eloquent preacher; 
big tears rolled down his cheeks; and he wept with 
joy as he heard the story of Jesus, the Great Healer. 
Paul looked down upon the poor cripple with tender- 
ness and saw the great faith of his eager listener, who 
begged God's help. He commanded him to stand 
erect, and behold! he immediately arose, and leaping 
with joy told everybody of the power of Paul. 

"A miracle! A miracle!" the crowds cried aloud 
and, suddenly swarming together like bees gather 
around the hive, the inhabitants of the city ran 
toward Paul and wished to adore him and Barnabas. 
To Paul they gave the name of Mercury, because he 
was a clever speaker, and to Barnabas, because of 
his noble appearance, they gave the name of Jupiter. 
Presently, the people knelt down before the Mission- 
aries and bowed their heads to the earth, as though 
they were worshipping and adoring their pagan gods. 
A procession was formed; oxen were decorated with 
garlands of evergreen and laurel; and flowers were 
brought before the two heroes to be offered as a 
sacrifice in the temple to their honor. Paul and 
Barnabas did not realize at first what was happening, 
but soon they grasped the meaning of the pagans' 
superstitious ceremonies. They readily explained to 
the whole crowd that they were men and not gods 
of paganism; that they were only preachers of the 
Teachings of Jesus, Who was the Messiah; and that 
the miracle of the cripple of Lystra was only an ex- 
ample of the power of Jesus, Who continued to per- 



The Cripple at Lystra 95 

form His wonderful miracles through the prayers of 
His Church. 

In a very short time the story of Palm Sunday's 
"Hosannas" and Good Friday's "Crucify Him!" was 
again repeated. Instead of respecting Paul and 
Barnabas, the people suddenly turned against them, 
and stoned Paul until they thought he was dead. 
The infuriated mobs dragged Paul's apparently dead 
body out of the city and left it there beyond the 
walls. They thought that Paul was dead, but he 
was only unconscious. With the assistance of his 
friends, he finally regained consciousness and was 
led back to the very city, from which his supposed 
lifeless body had some hours before been cast out. 
Paul's time to depart from this world had not yet 
come! Jesus had a great deal of work for him to 
do, before he would finally be put to death as a 
martyr of the Church. His friends and disciples 
came together and once more gathered around him; 
and Paul, filled with the glory of his victory over his 
enemies, exclaimed: "And dying, behold! we live!" 

It was in the home of a most hospitable young 
man, named Timothy, that Paul found lodging and 
protection from his enemies. This young man's 
mother cared for Paul, and after his wounds were 
dressed, she gave him something to eat; the wounded 
hero then retired until the next morning. After a 
thorough rest and a short period of convalescence, 
Paul immediately proposed to leave the city of 
Lystra; however, before leaving the Catholic house- 
hold of Timothy's good mother, he had given the 



96 Paul, Hero and Saint 

young man an ardent longing to become a Mission- 
ary. The exciting stories of Paul's travels and dan- 
gers were enough to arouse the longing for adventure 
in the youth's heart. Like Mark, the enthusiastic 
Timothy insisted upon accompanying Paul and 
Barnabas; however, although his ambitions were the 
same as those of Mark, yet Timothy was better fitted 
to endure hardships, to undergo suffering. Paul did 
not accept his petition with eagerness, but profiting 
from the experience with Mark, he told Timothy not 
to act hastily, but first to test his vocation, and then, 
at some later date, he might be accepted as a 
seminarian. 

Realizing that his life was in danger, Paul finally 
left Lystra and went to the town of Derbe, where he 
rested for a short time in order to regain his former 
strength. No sooner were his wounds thoroughly 
healed, when Paul went back to Lystra, Iconium and 
Antioch, to the very people who had stoned him and 
cast him out of their cities. It required a brave 
spirit to return to his enemies; he faced death, not 
only every day, but every hour of every day that he 
spent in comforting the persecuted members of the 
Church. Knowing that the Church of Jesus would 
increase in spite of every persecution, and that it 
would naturally require Priests to continue the work, 
Paul picked out several worthy men and ordained 
them as Priests for the new-forming parishes. This 
act of the Apostle was certainly a great help and a 
wonderful source of consolation for the poor Cath- 
olics. No matter what happened, no matter how 



The Cripple at Lystra 97 

cruelly they might be persecuted and whatever 
troubles they might have to contend with, the 
thought that they had Priests was their greatest 
source of comfort. The Priests kept alive the lires 
of Faith; they comforted the sick, consoled the dy- 
ing, administered the Sacraments to the faithful, 
gathered the little congregations together, and offered 
the Sacrifice of the Mass for the living and the dead. 
The services and good deeds of the Priests could not 
be praised enough by mere human words. Paul 
knew that they would keep the Faith active and sow 
the seeds of Christian Doctrine in the hearts of all 
men. 

Having established the little parishes and care- 
fully selecting the proper men to take charge of them, 
Paul prepared to return to Antioch in Syria in order 
to tell the whole Church what great things the Lord 
had accomplished through the labors of his 
strenuous Missionaries. The home trip was made 
through Pisidia and Pamphilia to Perge, and then to 
the seaport of Attalia, where the triumphant heroes 
of Christ boarded the boat for their voyage to Antioch 
in Syria. 

Paul did not come home with a treasure chest 
overflowing with contributions of money from the 
new parishes; he did not have a trainload of gifts; 
and he had no large retinue of friends to accompany 
him. No! Paul and Barnabas came home alone — 
with Jesus. Paul's health was broken down, but he 
did not come home for sympathy. No! Paul and 
Barnabas came home with the "good news" of the 



98 Paul, Hero and Saint 

Church's good health in the Gentile world. Paul was 
like a wounded soldier returning home from battle 
to His Mother — the Church at Antioch. Like a 
wounded soldier, he gloried in his wounds and scars. 
He had hopes of greater victories in the near future., 
Everything had been done for Jesus; he had suffered 
everything for Jesus; and his "home coming" meant 
no more than "preparing for another Missionary 
Journey." Paul was never beaten! He would al- 
ways "fight the good fight" in order to win the ever- 
lasting crown of glory. His battlefield was the great 
Roman Empire! 



CHAPTER XVII 
The Commander-in-Chief Speaks 

When General Pershing rode at the head of his 
steel-helmeted troops and passed under New York's 
Arch of Victory, the applause was deafening. The 
picture was one of glory to a conquering hero. The 
banners were flying and the "Stars and Stripes" were 
unfurled to the breeze. The vast army swung down 
Fifth Avenue, and marched with a perfect cadence 
to the inspiring rhythm of the music of the regi- 
mental bands. How proud those warriors were, as 
they passed through the long lines of waving flags 
and cheering friends ! Many a soldier's wounds were 
not seen, but the decoration upon his uniform 
plainly told the story of his valor and the honors 
which he had received. Someone has wisely and 
truly said: "The soldier's heart is always in the 
right place, but his weakness is to put his Service 
Record on his sleeve." Gold stripes, divisional in- 
signia, the D. S. M., ribbon bars, the Fourragere, and 
silver stars formed only a part of the glorious trap- 
pings of the returned overseas heroes. The old folks 
at home were perplexed with all these things, and it 
took quite a little while until our gallant soldiers 
explained the meaning of their decorations ; however, 
the home folks were always interested and patient 

99 



100 Paul, Hero and Saint 

listeners, and thus they learned the history of the 
World's War from the men who fought its greatest 
battles. 

Paul had been overseas. He had been a hero in 
the great World War against infidelity and sin. He 
had been victorious, and he bore the wounds and 
scars of his battles. He was now returning to An- 
tioch as a conquering hero! No bands played; no 
banners and flags were unfurled; no triumphal arch 
was erected for Paul the Hero. No! Paul came 
home in silence — with Jesus. What he had suffered 
and accomplished was all for the honor and glory of 
Jesus. He did not seek personal honors. He was 
not a military leader of the world's triumphant army. 
No! He had come home as the Hero of Christ's 
triumphant Army to tell of the successes of His 
Divine Leader in foreign lands; he came home glory- 
ing in nothing, save the Cross of Jesus. 

Such humility as Paul manifested, the people of 
Antioch had never seen before, and, accordingly, it 
was this spirit of Paul in calling himself "the least 
of all the Apostles," that won for him the esteem and 
reverence of the whole Church at Antioch. Every- 
body was happy, and the entire Church rejoiced 
with Paul and Barnabas, who had suffered everything 
for Jesus. The burden of the Church was indeed 
light, and the yoke of suffering was sweet! The 
Church had received new life from the encouraging 
report of the zealous Missionaries. 

In the midst of such universal happiness, how- 
ever, something most unfortunate occurred to make 



The Commander-in-Chief Speaks 101 

trouble within the Church. It was naturally ex- 
pected that the Jews and Gentiles would persecute 
the Church, but among the Catholics there should 
have been no trouble. The cause of the trouble was 
entirely with the Catholics themselves. Some of 
them seemed to think that they were more perfect 
than others; in time these "more perfect" Catholics 
became jealous of the increasing number of those 
Catholics, who w r ere not quite so severe and as stern 
in their manner of living. These rigorous Catholics 
wanted to make the Church a very solemn affair; 
and hence, they tried to take all the joy and happi- 
ness out of life, by making so many laws, that one 
could scarcely turn around without breaking them, 
in some way or other. They wished the pagan con- 
verts to submit to the Jewish ceremony of circum- 
cision, which even amongst the Jews was not con- 
sidered absolutely necessary. Paul told these Cath- 
olics, who insisted upon this ceremony, that they 
were imitating the Pharisees of the Jewish Church, 
and if they did not take the necessary precautions, 
there would soon be two parties in the Catholic 
Church, just as there were Pharisees and Sadducees 
in the Jewish Church. 

The whole trouble arose on account of Paul's un- 
restricted reception of converts into the Church from 
the Gentile or Pagan religion. Paul knew his theol- 
ogy, and insisted that Christ came to save all men 
and desired that all men should become members of 
His Church. The necessary conditions for becoming 
a Catholic were, that the pagans should express a 



102 Paul, Hero and Saint 

willingness to become members of Christ's Church, 
and after a short period of instruction, in which they 
would become acquainted with all the Teachings of 
Jesus, they were to accept the Church as their Mother 
and Teacher for the salvation of their souls. The 
Jewish ceremonies were not necessary for Gentile 
converts; Baptism was sufficient, whereby the pagans 
were to be made Catholics, children of Mother Church 
and of God, and finally heirs of Heaven itself. Paul 
knew his Catechism as well as his Theology, and he 
was uncompromising in his latest battle with the 
rigorous Catholics, who wished to make improve- 
ments in the laws made by Jesus Himself. 

Paul knew that the Catholic Church would never 
change the Teachings of Jesus, and thus in order to 
settle the trouble for all times, he and Barnabas de- 
cided that they would go down to Jerusalem, where 
the Pope with his Bishops and Priests could decide 
the question for the quarreling factions in Antioch. 

Poor St. Peter, as the first Pope, had his share of 
trouble! His own children were quarreling among 
themselves. It was a disgrace! Jesus once said: 
"Abide in My love," and they had declared war with 
one another! What could the Pope do? If the dis- 
putes continued much longer, the Church would have 
two parties, namely, the Jewish-Catholics and the 
Gentile-Catholics. That would never do! Jesus 
had said that He was the Good Shepherd and that 
there was to be only one Shepherd and one Fold, and 
He had also prayed to His Heavenly Father, that all 
His children might be one, "as Thou, Father, in Me, 



The Commander-in-Chief Speaks 103 

and I in Thee." This party-spirit could not remain. 
The whole trouble was to be settled and all were to 
abide in peace. That was the plan of Jesus and the 
purpose of St. Peter, as the first Visible Head of the 
Church. Accordingly, St. Peter called the Bishops 
and Priests of the Church together; the meeting, or 
Council of Jerusalem, was called to order for the pur- 
pose of settling the disputed questions; it was to be 
thoroughly decided what Catholics were to believe 
and what they were to do, in order to save their 
souls. 

The various troubles "within the Church" were 
given an open-air treatment, with the result that, 
"when there had been much disputing," St. Peter 
rising laid down the law to everyone. In a short 
time the power of the Pope was plainly shown; his 
words were infallible; he could not make a mistake 
concerning Faith and Morals, and everyone listened 
attentively to his decision. "Infallible" does not 
mean that St. Peter could not commit a sin or make a 
mistake, with regard to many things. No! Al- 
though he was the First Pope, nevertheless, he was 
only a man, and could commit a sin and likewise be 
ignorant of much worldly knowledge; but, as the 
representative of Jesus, when he spoke "ex cathedra" 
that is, as the Vicar of Christ declaring and teaching 
the things that Jesus had taught his followers — 
he could not tell a lie. He was forced to tell the 
truth, just as the Pope is obliged to do, to this very 
day. What Jesus taught may never be changed! 
New ceremonies may be added to the different devo- 



104 Paul, Hero and Saint 

tions, but the golden truths of Christian Doctrine 
will always remain the same. St. Peter told the 
Council very plainly that Jesus was the Redeemer 
of the whole world, and that anyone who believed 
and was baptized really became a Catholic; and that 
it was not necessary to receive any of the rites or 
ceremonies of the Jewish Church, in order to become 
a Catholic. The Commander-in-Chief had spoken. 
His word was final. The case was ended ! 

When St. Peter had finished his speech, Paul and 
Barnabas told the crowd about their great Mission- 
ary work among the pagans, and showed them that 
these converts became very good Catholics, without 
receiving the Jewish rites. Baptism alone was the 
door through which they came into the Church. 
They had brought with them a certain Greek convert, 
named Titus, whom Paul brought before the Coun- 
cil, as an example of the many converts made from 
paganism. The Bishops and Priests were well satis- 
fied and were willing to obey the Law of Jesus. St. 
Peter as the Commander-in-Chief of the Army of 
Christ had only repeated the Orders of the Divine 
Leader. Paul and Barnabas thankfully approved 
of St. Peter's noble and final settlement of the 
trouble "within the Church," and St. James, the 
Bishop of Jerusalem, concluded the meeting with a 
beautiful sermon, in which he begged all Catholics 
to love one another, and to set a good example to the 
pagan world, that it might soon become Catholic. 

The converts from the Jewish Church were not to 
enforce the Jewish customs or rites upon the con- 



The Commander-in-Chief Speaks 105 

verts from paganism; and converts from paganism 
were to abstain from the meats offered in sacrifice 
"to idols," to lead lives of purity, and to refrain them- 
selves "from things strangled and from blood." 
This resolution of the Council made it easy for the 
Gentiles to become Catholics, but it also prevented 
them from taking part in their former religious 
customs. 

The great question had been answered in a definite 
way, and Paul and Barnabas prepared to return to 
Antioch to explain the Law to the people. For the 
special purpose of instructing the Catholics as to the 
decision of the Council, Paul and Barnabas were 
given two assistants, who were to deliver the "good 
news" to the whole Church at Antioch. These two 
preachers were Barsabas and Silas, who coming with 
Paul and Barnabas, did noble work in Antioch. 
They read the letter from the Council and explained 
what St. Peter had defined as a final law for the 
whole Church. When their work was finished, Silas 
determined to remain at Antioch, while his com- 
panion, Barsabas, returned to Jerusalem. 

Paul had won another victory over his enemies 
"within the Church." It was a great triumph over 
the hypocrites, who thought they knew more about 
Christian Doctrine than Paul. As you w T ell know, 
Paul had been instructed by Jesus Himself, and so 
he naturally understood that the victory obtained at 
the Council of Jerusalem was only a victory of Jesus 
over those who wished to make new laws for the 
Church. Paul understood that Jesus did not wish 



106 Paul, Hero and Saint 

to make His Church a burden for its members. No! 
Jesus wished everybody to be happy — that was the 
reason why He founded a Church! Paul saw the 
power of Jesus working in all things, and as he sat 
at his desk and wrote a letter to some of his friends, 
these words fully described his own nothingness and 
God's greatness: 

"I am the least of the Apostles; who am not 
worthy to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted 
the Church of God — but by the Grace of God, I am 
what I am." 

Paul had accomplished much. He had gained vic- 
tories abroad and at home, yet, he considered him- 
self as nothing. Jesus had won the Victory, when 
the Commander-in-Chief spoke. 



CHAPTER XVIII 
Doctor Luke 

Barnabas agreed with Paul that another Mission- 
ary trip was necessary. They had decided the point 
most definitely upon their return to Antioch. In or- 
der to "keep up the good work," arrangements w 7 ere 
immediately made for the Second Missionary Jour- 
ney. Barnabas was willing to go with Paul, if he 
could take his friend, Mark, along with them. Paul 
threw up his hands in holy horror, and clenching his 
fist, he struck the table with force. "That home- 
sick mother's boy to go along with us? Never!" was 
Paul's fiery decision. 

Mark could not go along with Paul. That was 
decided in a very forcible manner by Paul, who had 
lost confidence in Mark, when he broke up the First 
Missionary Journey by going home. Paul did not 
trust Mark; he thought it would be a waste of time 
and money to drag him along as a mere tourist and 
not as a real Missionary, who would be willing to 
undergo all trials and sufferings. No! easy-going 
Mark could not go along with Paul, who preferred 
rather to go alone, than with such a companion. 
Barnabas was very sad over such a harsh decision, 
for it was his ambition to make Mark a real Mission- 

107 



108 Paul, Hero and Saint 

ary; he had hoped that in time and with training, 
Mark might overcome homesickness; and, that, hav- 
ing once acquired a little experience, he would be 
willing to undergo hardships and privations for the 
sake of Jesus. Paul, however, was not inclined to 
take any chances on Mark's future possibilities, and 
a compromise was made in which it was agreed, that 
Barnabas should take his friend, Mark, to Cyprus, 
whilst Paul was to take the energetic Silas to Cilicia. 
Silas was one of the young Preachers, who had come 
to Antioch from Jerusalem to explain the letter sent 
to the Churches by the Council; he was an untiring 
worker and therefore a friend of Paul. Paul wanted 
an assistant who never stopped his work to take a 
rest; his slogan was — "Work! Work! Work!" and 
his motto — "All for Jesus." 

The Catholics of Antioch met in their church, and 
prayed for the success of the Second Missionary 
Journey of their Apostle to the Gentiles. They heard 
of the dispute between Paul and Barnabas, over the 
question of Mark accompanying them; but they real- 
ized that, in all great undertakings, even the best men 
had their peculiar ways, and hence, possibly, God 
had permitted the little disagreement, in order to 
obtain better results from both Barnabas and from 
Paul. The discord was not to be a lasting one; the 
melody of Christ's Love would soon follow; the har- 
mony of the Church was heard in the prayers of the 
faithful for all its Missionaries. 

Paul's journey was made overland through Syria 
and then westward through Cilicia. The main pur- 



Doctor Luke 109 

pose of the trip was to re-visit the Churches, in order 
to see what progress had been made, and for the pur- 
pose of making the converts stronger in their faith. 
Paul and Silas finally arrived at Derbe, where they 
found the parish succeeding wonderfully under the 
burden of many difficulties. Satisfied that the 
Church would "fight the good fight of faith," and 
that they would avoid "the profane novelties of 
words and the opposition of knowledge, falsely so 
called," Paul and Silas left Derbe for the city of 
Lystra. 

It was at Lystra, that Paul had been taken care 
of by the good mother of Timothy, who washed his 
wounds after the mob had attempted to stone him 
to death. On this second visit Paul again entered 
the home of Timothy, who lived with his mother, 
Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois. The young 
man had faithfully waited for Paul's return, 
and was now prepared to take up his studies for the 
Priesthood; he was a youth full of courage and yet 
modestly quiet in everything he did; his faith was 
strong, for he had inherited that gift from his mother 
and grandmother, who were noble types of Catholic 
women; and what was most important, for his whole 
future life as a Priest, was that his life was one of 
exceptional virtue. Paul agreed that he should be- 
gin his novitiate at once. The course of studies was 
to be given by Paul and Silas. Timothy would not 
only have the chance of studying Catholic Philosophy 
and Theology, but he would also have a splendid op- 
portunity of seeing his professors "practice what they 



110 Paul, Hero and Saint 

preached." Timothy would soon be a Priest, a Doc- 
tor of Theology, and soon a Bishop! That was en- 
couraging! Paul saw his novice's brilliant future, 
and told him "it behoveth a Bishop to be blameless," 
and that "if a man desireth the office of a Bishop, he 
desireth a good work." With such encouragement, 
Timothy began his studies with true humility and 
became what Paul termed, "his beloved son in faith." 
He understood that, if he were some day to enjoy the 
honor of a Bishop, he must be prepared to bear the 
burdens of such an office! Paul was his Spiritual 
Director; Jesus was his Divine Leader toward per- 
fection ! 

Three Missionaries, instead of two, were now en- 
gaged in the work of the Second Missionary Jour- 
ney. Before leaving Lystra, a general meeting of 
the faithful was held and prayers were said for the 
success of Paul, Silas and Timothy. Their depar- 
ture was one of joy, for they believed in "teaching 
all nations and baptizing them in the Name of the 
Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost;" how- 
ever, their joy was soon turned to sorrow; their antici- 
pations were foiled by men and delayed by God. 
Although Christian Doctrine had been taught, the 
decrees of the Council of Jerusalem delivered to the 
Churches, and the increasing number of Catholics 
confirmed, yet after the Missionaries had passed 
through the countries of Galatia and Phrygia, "they 
were forbidden by the Holy Ghost to preach the word 
in Asia." God's ways and plans were somewhat dif- 
ferent from those of the Missionaries. They were 



Doctor Luke 111 

first to sow the seed of Christian Doctrine in Europe 
and then return for the harvest of souls in Asia! 

After traveling through Mysia, they finally came 
to the little town of Troas, which was near to the 
ancient battlefield of Troy. Here it was that the 
Greek heroes of old fought without definite results, 
until, with the aid of a wooden horse, they succeeded 
in capturing the walled city of King Priam. The 
three Missionaries stood and gazed upon the old 
battlefield where the sin of Paris and Helen was 
avenged. They learned a great lesson from the 
strategy of the Greeks over the Trojans. They were 
to be soldiers and had to fight in order to win Life's 
battle, but they were also to be "gentle as doves and 
sly as serpents" in order to get into the walled cities 
of paganism. Some day they, too, might enter the 
cities of Asia, not by means of human strategy, but 
with the help and inspiration of the Holy Ghost! 
The walls of prejudice and hatred were first to be 
attacked, and then, under the guidance of the Holy 
Ghost, they would return from Europe to the open- 
hearted cities of Asia. 

Paul's enthusiasm never lessened; his will was set 
"to accomplish something" for Jesus; his whole life 
seemed to be directed by his undefeated spirit of de- 
termination "to succeed." However, no matter how 
willing Paul's spirit may have been, his flesh was 
weakening under the severe strain of his rigorous and 
energetic life. The more spiritual he became, the 
greater became his temptations. His infirmities he 
described as "a thorn in his side" that worried him 



112 Paul, Hero and Saint 

day and night; the only relief he could obtain was 
by keeping his mind and body constantly busy; and 
thus, with his troubles banished from his mind, he 
actually managed to keep up his abstemious life and 
rigorous activity. When he reached Troas, however, 
Paul met a certain learned and renowned doctor of 
medicine, who was actually able to give him some re- 
lief in his sufferings. It was Doctor Luke. 

Doctor Luke received Paul kindly, and soon a 
friendship sprang up between the physician and his 
patient. Paul was a learned man and likewise was 
Doctor Luke, who had not only studied medicine, but 
was also an authority upon geography, history, and 
the Greek language. Some writers of Tradition tell 
us that the Doctor was also an artist. Whether this 
be true or not, we cannot say, but we know that "the 
beloved physician" probably studied medicine at Tar- 
sus; that he was a Greek by birth; a Roman citizen, 
and a staunch Catholic. He was indeed a worthy 
companion and "fellow-laborer" for Paul; a man of 
culture and erudition, who became the first historian 
of the Catholic Church! 

The Missionary group was now increased to four 
members, namely, Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Doctor 
Luke. Their ideals were all the same — "to count 
all things to be but loss for the excellent knowledge 
of Jesus Christ," for Whom they were to suffer all 
things in order to teach and baptize all nations. 
Their ideals were glorious and the realities of their 
lives were to be just as glorious! Although they 
were to be shamefully treated, calumniated, whipped 




BURNING THE BAD BOOKS OF EPHESUS 



Dore 



(See page 147) 



Doctor Luke 113 

and scourged, stoned and ridiculed, yet, "all for 
Jesus" was their motto and their consolation. 

Paul stood with his friends near the ruins of old 
Troy and meditated. His cross was heavy. He had 
tried his utmost to convert the people of Asia, but 
he had not obtained the success that he had antici- 
pated. The enemies of Jesus were still at work! 
As rapidly as the seeds of Catholicism were sown, 
cockle was also sown to choke the good grain of 
faith in its growth. The Jews had rejected Jesus 
and, likewise, they could be expected to cast Paul 
out of their cities. The cross was heavy for Jesus, 
yet He dragged it to the heights of Calvary; and 
when He was nailed to that cross and raised aloft, 
His head was turned away from the Jews who had 
rejected Him, and He turned His eyes toward the 
blood-reddened skies of the golden west. Paul 
turned away from those who had rejected him and 
his eyes turned toward the west. Across the seas 
lay Macedonia. A voice was calling to Paul : "Help ! 
Help!" 



CHAPTER XIX 

Paul's First Convert in Europe ! 

Paul looked towards the west. In the shadows of 
the setting sun's glory, he beheld the noble form of a 
soldier clothed in brilliant armor. In that silent hour 
of eventide, a voice uttered not a sharp command, but 
a petition: "Pass over into Macedonia and help us." 
Paul received the pitiful message and, in a very short 
time, explained the vision to his friends. It was 
unanimously decided that the fertile soil of Europe 
was to be the field for their Missionary labors! If 
Asia had been a source of discomfiture for them, the 
new country would afford them consolation! The 
Holy Ghost would direct their work and be their 
Comforter ! 

A boat was secured and Paul, Silas, Timothy and 
Doctor Luke went over the bounding waves to a coun- 
try, which was known to only one of their number. 
The course taken was straight toward Samothracia, 
an island in the ^Egean Sea, and thence to the part 
of Neapolis, from which the party traveled inland 
about ten miles to the city of Philippi. This city had 
received its name from Philip of Macedon, the father 
of Alexander the Great; it was considered one of the 
most important cities of Macedonia. Here Paul and 

114 



PauVs First Convert in Europe! 115 

his companions made their plans for the conversion 
of Europe. 

Not a single synagogue could be found in which to 
preach to the people. A temple dedicated to the 
pagan god Silvanus was found, and we can well pre- 
sume that Doctor Luke must have teased poor Silas 
about this temple. "Silas" was a short form of the 
name "Silvanus," and thus, if poor Silas were dis- 
covered, he might possibly have been adored as the 
pagan god of the temple. However, Silas was not 
afraid of anything like that, for he was always ready 
to prove that he was a Catholic. There were some 
Jews in the city, but the only ones to practice their 
religion were the women, who came together every 
Saturday along the banks of the river. Paul heard 
of this meeting-place, and the whole Missionary group 
went down to the river to preach the religion of Jesus 
to these good women. 

Among the crowd of women, there was a certain 
seller of purple dyes. She had come from Thyatira 
in Lydia, and was not an ordinary peddler, but a real 
business woman of considerable wealth. This can 
be inferred from the fact that she sold purple dyes, 
which were very costly and required a large invest- 
ment of money to handle them. In addition to being 
an extraordinary business woman, Lydia possessed 
great intellectual qualities and refinement. As we 
are told the Lord opened her heart "to attend to 
those things which were said by Paul," and at the 
conclusion of the Missionary's sermon, she asked to 
become a Catholic. After she and her household 



116 Paul, Hero and Saint 

were baptized, Paul, Silas, Timothy and Doctor Luke 
were invited to lodge at her house and enjoy her 
hospitality. This w r as a most generous offer, and 
Paul was in dire need of such assistance; moreover, 
a place was needed in which to celebrate "The Break- 
ing of Bread," and to give the converts the Bread of 
Life in Holy Communion. Lydia's hospitality was 
thankfully accepted, and her home soon became a 
Catholic church. This rich woman, like many other 
rich people, was a good Catholic, and did not adver- 
tise her business by means of religion; she was sin- 
cere in her religious practices; and she was humble 
in her works of charity, which she begged Paul and 
his companions to accept, "if you have judged me to 
be faithful to the Lord." Lydia was Paul's first con- 
vert in Europe and the humble benefactor of the 
Church at Philippi. 

Although the Church was established at Lydia's 
home, nevertheless, Paul continued to preach along 
the river front. The crowd increased and Paul made 
more converts, chief of whom were Evodia and 
Syntache. These two women were quite influential 
in helping Paul; and in a short time, two men, named 
Epaphroditus and Clement, became zealous workers 
for the growing parish. The old adage that "noth- 
ing succeeds like success" was coming true. Paul 
was, indeed, forming the most formidable Church in 
his career. His converts were, to a great extent, 
well-educated, refined and charitably-disposed peo- 
ple, who did nothing "through contention, neither 
by vain glory," but esteemed others better than 



Paul's First Convert in Europe! 117 

themselves. Although they were once rich in worldly 
possessions, they had given of their abundance to 
the Church, for they realized how Jesus, "Who being 
in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal 
to God, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a 
servant, being made in the likeness of men and in 
habit found as a man. He humbled Himself, becom- 
ing obedient unto death, even to the death of the 
cross." The first Catholics at Philippi followed the 
example of Jesus — they were humble. 

In the midst of this activity, the usual secret work- 
ings of the powers of darkness began to manifest their 
opposition to Paul and his increasing congregation. 
One day, while preaching to the crowds along the 
river, Paul was accosted by a poor slave girl who 
constantly followed him and cried out : "These men 
are servants of the most High God, who preach unto 
you the way of salvation." The girl's words were 
true, but Paul realized that her words would do him 
more harm than good. She had been a fortune-teller 
and ventriloquist, whose business it was to pretend 
to tell the people the secrets of the future. The girl 
did not know any more about the future than other 
people, yet, by frequently coming in contact with peo- 
ple, she gradually became acquainted with their 
"family secrets" and troubles; in this manner she 
could partly imagine what might happen in the fu- 
ture, and thus succeeded at times in luckily guessing 
some future event. She had often made great mis- 
takes and caused the unsuspecting and innocent peo- 
ple to suddenly become jealous of each other; there- 



118 Paul, Hero and Saint 

by she succeeded in breaking up families that had 
lived in peace before her interference in their affairs. 
Such is the general outcome of all fortune-tellers, who 
have rightly been branded by all sensible people as 
"mischief-makers." 

Paul did not wish the praises of a "mischief- 
maker," who was only regarded as a valuable slave, 
because she brought large sums of money to her 
masters. Paul pitied the girl; he knew that she had 
no positive knowledge of the future, but he also real- 
ized that her peculiar words and her unnatural mode 
of living were not prompted by God, but by the Evil 
Spirit. Such a person was a danger to everybody. 
Paul watched her closely and tried to prevent her 
from associating with his converts, for he understood 
that she might possibly either destroy their faith or 
make them superstitious. The city authorities would 
do nothing, since they saw that the slave was the 
means of gaining profit for her masters. A business 
of this kind was not only profitable to her masters, 
but also gained many souls for Satan. Paul deter- 
mined that the girl was to cease her fortune-telling; 
he met her face to face as she proclaimed her praises 
for his work, and crying out aloud: "I command 
thee, in the name of Jesus Christ, to go out of her," 
Paul forced the Evil Spirit to depart from her. Sud- 
denly the poor slave became perfectly sensible and 
ever afterward she refused, in spite of large offerings 
of money, to tell the secrets of the future. It was a 
triumph for Paul over superstition, which of all men- 
tal diseases is truly a mild form of insanity; and it 



PauVs First Convert in Europe! 119 

was also a victory of Paul over the Evil Spirit, who 
had seduced the poor slave girl to a sinful life. 

The usual return of "evil for good" was Paul's re- 
ward for his blessing upon the Philippians. The 
slave girl's masters were exceedingly angry with Paul 
and Silas. Within a few hours, the Missionaries 
were both seized, taken to the market place, and then 
placed before the magistrates for trial. The charges 
were thus recorded: 

"These men disturb our city, being Jews; and 
preach a fashion which is not lawful for us Romans 
to receive nor observe." 

Once more the words of Paul came true. "The 
desire of money is the root of all evil." For the sake 
of the money earned by this poor slave girl, the cruel 
masters sacrificed truth and every virtue; they 
calumniated the innocent Paul, turned against God 
Himself, and interrupted the work of the Mission- 
aries. Such were the results of the loss of musty, 
filthy and sin-bought money! 



CHAPTER XX 
The Singing Prisoners of Philippi 

Paul's enemies succeeded in convincing the Roman 
Magistrates that a crime had been committed against 
the laws of the country. These two strangers had 
stirred up the people and caused "a street riot;" they 
had likewise tried to teach the people new things, 
which was not part of the religion of the Roman 
Empire; and lastly, they had converted one of the 
slave girls, thereby destroying the fortune-telling 
business for her masters. Although the Roman laws 
were somewhat tolerant toward the Jewish religion, 
yet those self-same laws could be interpreted most 
severely. The prosecution of criminals in minor 
cases was left to the judges of a province, who might 
be, as it often happened, bitter enemies of Judaism. 
Thus, it can be easily understood, that the judges and 
even the governors, to whom cases of greater impor- 
tance were referred, might under the influence of 
bigotry become most tyrannical. 

In Paul's case the Magistrates were influenced by 
the enemies of all religions contrary to their super- 
stitions; and so, without much deliberation, the au- 
thorities thinking that Paul and Silas were Jews, or- 
dered the Missionaries to be punished for their sup- 
posed crimes against the State. They little realized 

120 



The Singing Prisoners of Philip pi 121 

that the innocent prisoners were Roman citizens. 
Had they known this, they would have given Paul 
and Silas a fair trial; and then only, after the pris- 
oners were found guilty, could they have punished 
them. However, Paul and Silas remained silent. 
They wished to suffer some punishment for Jesus. 
When they were ordered to be confined in the dark 
dungeon of the prison of Philippi, they went into 
their lonely cell with the hope that Jesus would soon 
release them. 

The Magistrates had gone even farther than to have 
the poor strangers thrown into prison. They also 
ordered the soldiers to beat them with rods. The 
usual method of whipping criminals was to remove 
all the clothing from their backs, tie their hands to a 
low pillar, and strike the prisoners with the rods or 
whips. Foreigners were scourged with a whip made 
of many leathern thongs, knotted and armed with 
leaden balls; Roman citizens, however, were whipped 
or beaten with rods made of elm wood. In Paul's 
case we find that rods were used, which shows that 
the lictor punishing Paul and Silas may have known 
that they were Romans, although the judges were in 
ignorance of the fact. Blow after blow fell upon the 
blood-covered shoulders of the Missionaries, who 
suffered such punishment for nothing else than for 
preaching "Christ Crucified." They offered their pains 
and anguish in union with the sufferings of Jesus, 
Who once received a cruel scourging at the hands of 
Roman soldiers for the sins of all mankind. 

After the scourging was completed, the captives 



122 Paul, Hero and Saint 

were led into a dungeon and there placed in rough 
and cruel stocks, which bound them in a rigid posi- 
tion by their hands and feet. It was a severe tor- 
ture for both men; the pains of their open wounds 
increased, as the hours of night seemed to grow longer 
and longer. The guards marched to and fro, and 
kept a watchful eye upon the prisoners, who were 
finally chained and locked in the dungeon or "inner- 
prison." 

Under such treatment the bravest soldiers might 
grow weak and give way to discouragement, but that 
was not the case with Paul. Was our Hero ever de- 
feated? No! emphatically No! Paul was a real 
soldier of Christ — not a man of the world. He knew 
how to suffer for Christ. What could he do in his 
present position? His hands and feet were bound; 
his body was torn and blood-covered from the scourg- 
ing; his nerves were shattered by the excitement of 
the riot; he was without food and water for a long 
time. There was every reason to be discouraged, 
but Paul was never defeated. He must "preach 
Christ and Him Crucified," even until his last dying 
breath. His lips were not sealed! His voice could 
never be silenced! In a short while he began to 
sing the triumphant praises of Jesus so joyfully, that 
the whole jail reechoed with the Gospel of Christ's 
patience, suffering, humility and obedience. The 
dimly lighted prison seemed to lose its horrors, while 
Paul and Silas chanted the ever-beautiful Psalms of 
David. They blessed and praised God in all His 
works. Like the young men in the fiery furnace of 



The Singing Prisoners of Philippi 123 

Babylon, they sang "the glories of the Lord" and 
were not sorrowful, but hopeful; like Daniel sur- 
rounded by the roaring lions, they cried out: "Long 
live Our King Jesus!" and like Jesus Himself, in His 
agony under the lashes of the prsetorium guard, they 
realized that still greater punishments were awaiting 
them. They lifted up their voices in prayer, and the 
sweet melodies that once mingled with the incense of 
Zion's altars, were now heard within the prison walls 
of Philippi. 

"In Thee, Lord, I have hoped, 
Let me never be put to confusion. 
Deliver me in Thy justice and rescue me. 
Incline Thy ear unto me and save me. 

***** 

"Thou hast taught me, God, from my youth 
Till now I will declare Thy wonderful works. 

***** 

"How great troubles hast Thou shown me, 
Many and grievous; 
Turning hast Thou brought me to life. 

***** 

"I will confess to Thee Thy truths 
With the instruments of the psaltery. 

"O God, I will sing to Thee with the harp, 
Thou Holy One of Israel." 

Paul and Silas knew that it was "good to give praise 
to the Lord," and while they praised God, thus chang- 
ing the prison into a House of God, the hour of mid- 
night approached. Suddenly and without a mo- 
ment's warning, a great earthquake shook the prison 



124 Paul, Hero and Saint 

walls to their very foundations; bars of iron and 
doors of steel were broken: chains fell loose upon 
the floor: the heavy stocks in which the prisoners 
had been securely fastened, were unlocked and Paul 
was free: the prisoners were free to run away and 
escape! The temptation for anyone to escape under 
such extraordinary conditions was indeed great; 
however, should but one prisoner escape, it would 
mean death to the soldier on guard. Paul realized 
the severity of the Roman law for soldiers in charge 
of prisoners, and knowing that God would provide 
for him, he did not attempt to escape. It was the 
same old self-sacrificing spirit of Paul that prompted 
him to remain there for the sake of his guard. 

Supposing that all the prisoners had escaped, the 
jailer ran breathlessly into the dungeon of Paul and 
Silas and attempted to kill himself; but Paul cried 
out with a loud voice : "Do thyself no harm, for we 
are all here." The jailer was very happy to find 
that none of his prisoners had escaped; his honor 
was maintained; and his life was saved! For his act 
of kindness, Paul received much thanks, which he 
gratefully acknowledged, by asking his guard to be- 
come a soldier of Christ. The spirit of Paul was in- 
vincible; every defeat became a victory; and every 
failure was turned into a triumph. In a few min- 
utes the Missionaries were instructing their guard, 
while he was washing their wounded bodies. Sud- 
denly with fervor and devotion, the jailer asked his 
prisoners to wash his soul with the waters of Bap- 
tism, and that very hour the jailer and his whole 



The Singing Prisoners of Philip pi 125 

family were baptized. It was another victory for 
Paul! Nothing could obstruct his work of "making 
more Catholics." Even the prison walls were not 
strong enough to keep Jesus out of the hearts of men ! 

The next morning, the Magistrates were somewhat 
excited. The earthquake had frightened them, and 
they superstitiously believed that possibly Paul and 
Silas caused all the trouble. They discovered to their 
sorrow that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, and 
regretted very much that they had treated them so 
cruelly. If Caesar at Rome heard that they had beaten 
Roman citizens, without giving them a trial to prove 
their guilt or innocence, the Magistrates would most 
certainly be discharged. They did not know what 
to do; but, finally, decided that the jailer should 
secretly allow Paul and Silas to escape. 

Would Paul do that? Not while he was a Roman 
citizen! He had been beaten without being con- 
demned! Since he had been thrown into prison 
unjustly, he told his guard that he demanded the 
rights of a Roman citizen! The judges should come 
and lead him out of the prison! It was a rather 
stern order from a prisoner and a somewhat humili- 
ating ordeal for the Magistrates. However, it was 
the only thing the judges could do, and wishing to 
avoid further trouble, they came and escorted Paul 
and Silas out of the prison. Paul and Silas were 
vindicated! The faith of the Catholics in "Paul — 
the Prisoner of Jesus Christ" — increased daily. 

Paul was a real man in every respect. While he 
may have been willing to forgive his judges for their 



126 Paul, Hero and Saint 

mistake, yet, in justice, he insisted upon his rights as 
a Roman citizen. He did not believe in allowing the 
civil authorities to exercise more power than they 
really possessed, and he was a firm advocate of carry- 
ing out the law to its very letter. Paul obeyed the 
laws, and he also knew that the laws were made to 
protect him, as well as others. Paul was more than 
a soldier, who knew military regulations ; he was also 
a lawyer, who knew the civil law, and could fight his 
own case against any number of unjust judges and 
false accusers. 



CHAPTER XXI 
Teaching the Learned Men of Athens 

Upon his release from the Philippian dungeon, 
Paul went immediately to the house of Lydia, where 
he saw all the Catholics, and made arrangements to 
go to Amphipolis and Apollonia. His visit to these 
cities was very brief, because of his desire to reach 
Thessalonica, where he knew the Jews had built a 
synagogue. Having once arrived at Thessalonica, he 
entered the synagogue boldly and preached to the 
people concerning the Messiah; he proved to them 
that Jesus "was to suffer and rise again from the 
dead;" and that in Jesus all the prophecies were ful- 
filled to the very letter. Some converts were made 
in the synagogue, whilst, from the Gentiles of the 
city, a large number became Catholics. Among these 
converts, many noble women were found who worked 
most zealously in propagating the faith among their 
friends. This was sufficient to cause the envy of 
the Jews, and they stirred up the customary "street- 
riot." 

The house of a certain Jewish convert, named 
Jason, was the lodging place of Paul. Here he 
worked at his trade of "tent-making," and also 

127 



128 Paul, Hero and Saint 

strove to build the Church of Jesus in the hearts of 
his converts. To this house, the mob of rioters 
came; they had intended to capture Paul and Silas; 
however, the Missionaries were not at home when 
the mob arrived; and so they seized poor Jason in- 
stead and dragged him to the Magistrates. Paul's 
benefactor was accused of the crime of having re- 
ceived into his house the two strangers, who "set the 
city in an uproar" and did "things contrary to the 
decrees of Caesar," by "saying that there is another 
king, Jesus." That was sufficient. Poor Jason was 
found guilty, and was obliged to pay a large sum of 
money as security "to preserve the peace" of the city. 
In the meantime, when the darkness of night ap- 
proached, the Catholics of the city secretly led Paul 
and Silas out of the city to Berea. 

At Berea, Paul entered the synagogue and began 
his usual method of preaching and teaching; how- 
ever, in a short time his enemies from Thessalonica 
followed him and stirred up the people against him. 
The best and only thing to do, was to go to another 
city. It was only necessary for the seed of Cathol- 
icism to be sown. God would take care of the 
growth and development of the Church. Thus Paul 
decided to leave his converts in the Hands of God 
and left Berea for Athens. Silas and Timothy were 
to remain in Berea until Paul had departed, and then 
later all were to meet again in Athens. 

Athens was indeed a wonderful city of learning, 
the city of the fine arts, the city of all the sciences! 
This was the new vineyard in which Paul must labor 



Teaching the Learned Men of Athens 129 

to show its cultured people that Christ was the true 
Vine, and that only as members of the true Church 
could they be branches thereof! The highly edu- 
cated Greeks were to" be taught that in the great 
alphabet of Life, Jesus was the "alpha" and the 
"omega;" and in all the eloquence and rhetoric of 
Life, Jesus was the "Word-made-Flesh" for our sal- 
vation. 

The boat-landing at Piraeus was about five miles 
from the city. Many of the gardens at the port were 
filled with groups of sailors from the' ships at anchor 
in the bay; the theatres and pleasure resorts were 
over-crowded; everybody seemed to be engaged in en- 
joying themselves. The long narrow avenue which 
led from Piraeus to Athens was protected by two 
long walls with innumerable buttresses and towers of 
defence. These long walls were often compared to 
two long cables that held Athens as a ship to its 
anchor in the port of Piraeus. As Paul walked along 
the road in silence, he read the history of Athens' 
former glory in the broken monuments and ruined 
temples. Upon his arrival in Athens, the statues 
fairly grouped themselves about him as he passed 
up or down the streets. Some monuments were 
erected to the memory of the country's great soldiers, 
poets and musician's, whilst others represented the 
false gods, as Neptune, Jupiter, Mercury, Apollo and 
Ceres. Here and there, Paul also found various 
kinds of altars; upon one of them he read the follow- 
ing words : 

"To the Unknown God." 



130 Paul, Hero and Saint 

Athens was not made up of ignorant people. No. 
The inhabitants of Athens were known to be very 
learned. A great many men, called "philosophers" 
or "lovers of wisdom," spent their whole lives in 
studying old truths and in writing new books. Those 
who studied in the Academy were called "Academi- 
cians" and looked upon Plato as their great teacher; 
those who attended the lectures of Zeno in the "Stoa" 
or "porch," were called "Stoics;" the students who 
were in the habit of walking about as they studied in 
the Lyceum of Aristotle, were called "Peripatetics" 
or "walkers;" and the numerous scholars in the 
School of Epicurus, who denied the existence of God 
and believed that their greatest happiness consisted 
in the pleasures of this world, were named "Epicu- 
reans." These philosophers lived lives according to 
their beliefs, and in trying to prove their arguments, 
they very often became childish by "splitting hairs" 
in the meaning of things. One good "lover of Wis- 
dom" went about the city with a lighted lantern at 
mid-day; upon being asked what he was seeking, he 
solemnly replied that he was trying to find an honest 
man. The most learned men quarreled and disputed 
about things of little importance; instead of striving 
to know God, Who was all Truth and Wisdom, they 
fought over the mysteries of Nature and the ever- 
changing meaning of words; and the most peculiar 
thing about these learned men was that they knew 
little or nothing about the world's greatest "Lover of 
Wisdom" — Jesus Christ. 

When Paul attempted to speak to some of the 



Teaching the Learned Men of Athens 131 

philosophers, they called him a "babbler" or "word- 
sower" and compared him to a shoplifter and a re- 
tailer of second-hand goods. The inquisitive crowds 
gathered together in the "Agora" or market place, 
were constantly waiting to hear the latest news, but 
the "good news" that Paul wished to bring to their 
hearts was not received with much enthusiasm. 
However, while speaking in the market place, Paul 
was approached by several philosophers who openly 
disputed with him; they were much interested in 
the new things he had spoken about, and ac- 
cordingly led him up the sixteen stone steps to the 
"Areopagus" or "Mars' Hill," where the "Upper 
Council" of wise men was assembled. The oppor- 
tunity of a life-time was at hand! Paul was to ob- 
tain the splendid opportunity of preaching the Doc- 
trines of Jesus to the learned men of Athens. He 
stood before the wisest men of the city of wisdom; 
the panorama of the city's glory was at his feet; the 
magnificent buildings, statues and columns of pure 
white marble glistened beneath the golden rays of 
the setting sun; he stood where the world's greatest 
speakers had once delivered their orations. His ora- 
tion was to be the "Word of God." 

As the fearless law-giver Moses and the eloquent 
orator Demosthenes once captivated their listeners, 
so did Paul, the Philosopher and Orator of Christ, 
control his learned audience. He knew the tricks of 
oratory as well as the Greek speakers, and began his 
story by telling his hearers of a certain altar that he 
had found, as he was entering their city. They had 



132 Paul, Hero and Saint 

all seen the altar many times. They knew when it 
was erected and by whom it was built. Of course, 
it was interesting to hear a stranger talk to them 
about their beautiful altars; especially so, when the 
stranger flattered his audience. Paul told them that 
he realized that they were very religious. That 
pleased them. Every audience loves a little flattery, 
and Paul used it as a means to win his auditors. 
When he saw that his listeners were both interested 
and in good spirits, he suddenly turned his sharp 
and penetrating eyes toward the altar and pointed 
out to them its well-known inscription : 

"To the Unknown God." 

Paul smiled contentedly and told them that this 
"Unknown God" was the God about Whom he was 
preaching. In a few minutes he had explained to 
his learned hearers that they were all seeking the 
true God in the wrong way, and that Jesus Christ 
was the Promised Messiah, Who proved Himself to 
be God by rising gloriously from the dead. As soon 
as they heard the word "resurrection," some mocked 
Paul, while others said: "We will hear thee again 
concerning this matter." The question of the "Resur- 
rection of the Dead" was a stumbling-block for them; 
however, Paul was satisfied that he had sown the 
seed of Christian Doctrine in their hearts, and he 
knew that God would soon bring forth fruit an hun- 
dredfold. The philosophers began to think, then 
talk, and finally argue about Paul's discourse. The 
first-fruit of conversion was soon forthcoming! 



Teaching the Learned Men of Athens 133 

Dionysius the Areopagite became a Catholic! In a 
short time a certain educated woman, named Da- 
maris, also joined the followers of Paul. It was a 
small beginning, but the seed of Catholic Faith was 
sown. The trip to Athens was a grand success! 
The learned men of Athens were taught by the 
Philosopher of Christ! 



CHAPTER XXII 

The Beautiful Evil-City of Corinth 

You have heard of the famous tree of Sodom, which 
is said to produce an apple most pleasing and beauti- 
ful to the eye, but most bitter and unpleasant to the 
taste. The inside of this apple is full of ashes. It 
was found by some scientists to grow near the mouth 
of the Jordan River in Palestine; and the peculiar 
nature of this rose-cheeked apple is most exactly de- 
scribed by a botanist, who asserts that a certain in- 
sect "converts the whole of the inside into dust, leav- 
ing nothing but the rind entire, without causing it to 
lose its bright color." If we were to visit Palestine, 
no doubt, we might find the self-same fruit, concern- 
ing which the historians Tacitus and Josephus first 
told us. Like many other people, if we were hun- 
gry, we might try to eat the beautiful red-cheeked 
apples, but to our sorrow, should we bite into the 
supposed luscious fruit, we would soon taste its bit- 
terness and find that its beauty was deceiving. 
Should this be our experience, we would naturally 
throw the apple away in disgust; and like some 
ascetic writers, we might perhaps compare the city 
of Corinth to the apple of Sodom, since in appear- 
ance it was most attractively beautiful, but in real- 
ity, it was the most morally corrupt city of the age. 

134 



The Beautiful Evil-City of Corinth 135 

Paul found the city to be a sort of a pleasure re- 
sort, where all business interests seemed to turn 
toward making money for the purpose of purchasing 
pleasure. Greek customs prevailed, while cruel Ro- 
man sports combined with the Oriental vices to make 
the morale of the city very low. Sins were called 
virtues. Men lost their noble nature and became as 
brutal and as passionate as animals. Although the 
inhabitants may have been beautifully dressed and 
their homes were mansions of architectural wonder, 
yet beneath all this glory were bitterness and ashes. 
The bitterness of sinful pleasure and the ashes of 
deception were beneath the outward appearance of 
Corinth. 

Paul needed not to taste the pleasures of the city 
in order to know that Corinth was a beautiful evil- 
city. No! he never judged things by their appear- 
ances. He always understood that beneath many a 
smiling countenance, there could easily reside a soul 
corrupted by sin. When he saw a poor person cov- 
ered with the dreadful disease of cancer, he knew 
that beneath that horrible countenance there might 
easily be found a soul beautified by grace. With such 
an estimate of human nature, Paul entered the city 
with the intention of drawing the people from their 
mad race for pleasure to the arena of religion. He 
saw them boxing, wrestling, and running races; and 
he had, no doubt, witnessed some of the theatrical 
displays in which human beings fought with wild 
beasts. The whole city seemed so far gone with its 
excesses of sin, that Paul actually feared and trembled 



136 Paul, Hero and Saint 

when he thought of his future plans to reform its 
godless population. However, he had resolved "to 
fight the good fight," and he had no intentions of 
"beating the air." No! He had come as the archi- 
tect of the Church of Jesus, and he was going to build 
a Church more lasting than all the massive temples 
and monuments of marble, brass and bronze. Paul 
had his plans prepared! He was the architect of 
real Catholic character. Jesus was his inspiration! 

The Church that Paul planned to build was to be 
substantial; humble and low in appearance, but 
magnificent in its interior. The first materials he 
obtained for such a spiritual edifice, were converts 
mainly from the poorer class of people, whose char- 
acter would be substantial and lastingly resplendent 
with the beauty of God's grace. With such ideals 
Paul began his work of converting Corinth. To his 
good fortune, he found two Jewish tent-makers, 
named Aquila and Prisca, who had been banished 
from Rome and were then residing in Corinth. It 
pleased Paul immensely to have the good fortune to 
lodge with this good man and his wife, where he 
could assist them at the work of tent-making. In 
the synagogue, Paul openly taught that Jesus was the 
Messiah, but such preaching of Christian Doctrine 
did not please the Jews. They even went so far as 
to blaspheme Jesus, whereupon Paul immediately 
shook his garments and said to them: "Your blood 
be upon your own heads; I am clean; from henceforth 
I will go unto the Gentiles." 

Now it happened that a man, named Titus Justus, 






The Beautiful Evil-City of Corinth 13% 

owned a house adjoining the synagogue; here it was 
that Paul entered and established the first Catholic 
Church in Corinth. It was not pleasant to conduct 
Catholic services next door to the Jewish synagogue, 
but Paul never lost sight of good opportunities to win 
souls over to Jesus. The parish increased steadily, 
and even Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, seeing 
the throngs of people going to the Catholic Church, 
came over with his whole family to Paul and asked 
to join the Church of Jesus. In a short time the 
Baptisms were increasing at an alarming rate, and 
the old story of Jesus seeking the lost sheep was made 
clearer and clearer to Paul. Jesus loved the sinners 
of Corinth and wanted to save their souls. He would 
leave the ninety-nine good sheep of the other Cath- 
olic parishes for the sake of the lost sheep of Corinth ! 
Yes, Paul understood the lesson that Jesus wished to 
teach all mankind. One night the Good Shepherd 
spoke to Paul: "Do not fear, but speak; and hold 
not thy peace, because I am with thee; and no man 
shall set upon thee to hurt thee ; for I have much peo- 
ple in this city." With such words of encouragement 
from Jesus Himself, Paul kept up the good work for 
one whole year and six months. 

When Gallio was made Proconsul, the Jews sud- 
denly rising up in anger and bigotry against Paul, 
dragged him before the court. When the good- 
natured Proconsul had listened for a few minutes to 
the accusations, he calmly asked the Jews what laws 
Paul had transgressed. Were they Jewish or Ro- 
man laws? The accusers answered that the ac- 



138 Paul, Hero and Saint 

cused had broken the Jewish laws, and that he was 
guilty of no offence against the criminal laws of the 
Roman court. Gallio became exceedingly angry, be- 
cause he saw that Paul was the victim of jealousy 
and bigotry on the part of the Jews; he immediately 
ordered Paul to be set free; the accusers were hastily 
driven out of the court-room; and Sosthenes, the ruler 
of the synagogue, was publicly beaten with rods be- 
fore the judgment seat, for inciting the people against 
an innocent person. 

Paul had no need to defend himself. The sud- 
den termination of the trial was something new for 
the "prisoner of Jesus Christ," for he was accustomed 
to be either thrown into prison, or to be beaten with 
rods for preaching the Gospel of Christ. It was a 
feeling of great satisfaction! It was a new experi- 
ence — to walk out of a court-room as a free and inno- 
cent man! Paul was given his liberty and the 
Church of Corinth was not to be destroyed. Return- 
ing to his prosperous parish church adjoining the 
synagogue, Paul gathered the congregation together 
and broke the Bread of Life as food for their hungry 
souls; he explained the doctrine of the Real Presence 
of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, by saying: "Let 
a man prove himself; and so let him eat of that bread 
and drink of the chalice. For he that eateth and 
drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment 
to himself, not discerning the Body of the Lord." In 
words of this kind he had, indeed, proved that Jesus 
was truly and substantially present in the Holy 
Communion; and he also warned his converts that if 



The Beautiful Evil-City of Corinth 139 

anyone received Holy Communion in the state of mor- 
tal sin, such a person committed a sacrilege. Holy 
Communion was indeed the receiving of Jesus into 
the tabernacle of their bodies, as Paul said, "the 
Bread, which we break, is it not the partaking of 
the Body of the Lord?" The Catholics of Corinth 
believed as the Catholics of today believe — in the Real 
Presence of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament. 

Among the members of the congregation were 
many prominent people as well as the poor slaves of 
the city. The arrival of Silas and Timothy from 
Macedonia, together with the money sent to Paul by 
the Bereans, Thessalonians and the Philippians, was 
most opportune and gave the energetic Missionary 
the help that he required for his work. Amongst the 
converts, a certain man, named Stephanus, with his 
whole family joined the Church; a most affable per- 
son, named Caius, was baptized and formed a most 
helpful and personal friendship with Paul; the city 
treasurer, Erastus, begged to be admitted into the 
Church; the newly-made converts among whom 
were Quartus, Fortunatus and Acha'icus, became "pil- 
lars" of the Corinthian Church; and a stenographer, 
well known as Tertius, was made Paul's private sec- 
retary. Among the women converts, there are such 
names on record as Chloe, Phoebe, Mary, Tryphena, 
Tryphosa and Persis, all of whom took a live interest 
in the success of the Church; being recognized as 
active Church Workers, they were, no doubt, what 
we would call today the "Ladies' Auxiliary" and the 
"Altar Society" of the Church of Corinth. 



140 Paul, Hero and Saint 

Paul, as we have noticed in his sermon to the 
Athenians, was an orator and a preacher, who could 
cleverly hold his hearers in suspense and earnest at- 
tention, and then suddenly drive his pointed words 
into the very depths of their hearts. One day Paul 
suddenly broke the "sad news" to his loving chil- 
dren. He first addressed his congregation with the 
most tender words of love; he encouraged them to 
"hold fast" to the faith under all difficulties and 
amid every storm that might assail them; and then 
he broke the news of his departure to his awe- 
stricken hearers. The loss of their self-sacrificing 
Missionary Bishop was received with a feeling of 
sorrow; the little groups of the parish called upon 
Paul and begged him to remain with them forever. 
This request, of course, could not be granted, for 
there were other distant fields awaiting the sowing 
of the seed of Christian Doctrine. Paul was to re- 
turn to Jerusalem and then to prepare for his Third 
Missionary Journey. However, his departure from 
Corinth was not made at once; he remained long 
enough to write two instructive and interesting 
"Epistles," or Letters, to the Thessalonians, whom he 
reprimanded for being too solicitous about the Second 
Coming of Our Lord to judge the world. 

The good people of Thessalonica had heard that 
the Son of Man was to come "as a thief in the night." 
That was the cause of their fear. Paul plainly told 
them not to worry about the "suddenness" of Our 
Lord's Coming, but to pay strict attention to being 
prepared at all times to meet Our Lord, by living 



The Beautiful Evil-City of Corinth 141 

good, upright lives, that God might sanctify them, 
and that their "whole spirit and soul and body may 
be preserved blameless in the Coming of Our Lord 
Jesus Christ." After the Letters had been sent to 
the worried and frightened Thessalonians, Paul pre- 
pared to depart for Ephesus with his friends Aquila 
and Prisca the tent-makers. 

The journey from Corinth to Caesarea was made 
without extraordinary happenings, save for a short 
visit to Ephesus. Paul "went to Jerusalem to salute 
the Church" — to show once more his reverence, 
loyalty and obedience to the "Assembly" of the 
Church at Jerusalem. He made his report. The 
story of his Second Missionary Journey had been 
rendered most vivid by his successful work among 
the Gentiles. Jerusalem was satisfied with his ef- 
forts to make the Gentile converts thoroughly Cath- 
olic. Paul's friends at Antioch had awaited three 
years for his happy return; they had heard many re- 
ports of his labors and his sufferings; and now they 
were to hear the story of his Second Missionary 
Journey from his own lips. Paul turned his loving 
eyes towards Antioch. The many friends of Paul 
were interested in their Soldier of Christ and awaited 
his home-coming. Christ's hero always brought 
home the "good news" of another victory! 



CHAPTER XXIII 

Burning Bad Books 

The "Welcome Home" celebration for Paul at 
Antioch was turned into another "Farewell Party." 
He had determined to visit some of the cities which 
were sadly in need of his assistance, and selected 
Ephesus as the place for the new campaign's head- 
quarters. On his Second Missionary Journey he had 
merely passed through Ephesus, where he with eyes 
half-opened could see how sadly the place needed 
reform. It was, indeed, a wicked city; robbers and 
murderers from the surrounding country came there 
in order to escape punishment; constant revelry and 
rioting took place both day and night; and dancing, 
drinking and pleasure-seeking seemed to be the only 
ambition of the whole city. The reason for such con- 
ditions was that Ephesus was too wealthy. As many 
rich people forget God on account of their posses- 
sions, so, too, did the inhabitants of this city forget 
God and placed their sole interest in their wealth. 
Pearls, fine linens, silks, ivory, incense, wine, olive 
oil and many other articles of merchandise were 
bought and sold in the city's Marts, and then sent 
out to all parts of the world. The people had plenty 
of money. Business was their pleasure! Pleasure 
was their business! 

142 



Burning Bad Books 143 

Although they bothered little about religion, yet 
they were somewhat superstitious with regard to a 
certain grotesque idol of a supposed goddess, named 
Diana. This idol, as these poor benighted people be- 
lieved, fell down from heaven, and as their goddess 
demanded that the people fall down in adoration be- 
fore her. Everybody called Diana the protector or 
patroness of Ephesus. Miniature idols of this deity 
were found in every home and even carried about by 
the superstitious people as a talisman. As some fool- 
ish people believe that a rabbit's foot or an old horse- 
shoe will bring them good luck, so, too, did the 
Ephesians believe that these idols would protect them 
and bring them good luck. Now, every educated 
Catholic understands quite well that the use of statues 
and pictures in the Catholic Church is only to re- 
mind the faithful of the virtues of Jesus and His 
Saints. They are "reminders," which give us good 
thoughts; they encourage us to "do good and avoid 
evil;" and in other words, they silently teach us to 
imitate the virtues of Jesus and His Saints. As a 
picture of your dear mother will always remind you 
of her goodness and lead you to live a good life, so, 
too, do the statues and pictures of religious subjects 
act upon the minds of real and sensible Catholics and 
lead them to live noble lives. The Catholic Church 
is not the Mother of idolatry and superstition; she is 
a good Mother who uses an alphabet of symbolism 
for our instruction and inspiration; and she teaches 
the adoration of God alone and only venerates God's 
saints ! 



144 Paul, Hero and Saint 

Ephesus was a city of idolatry and superstition! 
The most effective means of keeping the people super- 
stitious was discovered by Paul. It was through the 
medium of bad books! There seemed to be no end 
to the books written by men called "astrologers," 
who claimed to know how the stars either helped or 
ruined men. "Sorcerers," commonly known in those 
days as "witch doctors" and "spiritists," published 
many books, wherein they promised to reveal the 
secrets of the dead by speaking to the souls of de- 
parted friends. The world was always filled with 
such books which sensible Catholics never read, but 
rather destroy by throwing them into the fire. Just 
as there are today thousands of weak-minded people 
who are endeavoring and even pretending to send 
wireless messages to the dead, so, too, in the days of 
Paul, were there many people who imagined that they 
could speak to the spirits of their departed friends, 
and thus acquire a knowledge of secrets unknown to 
others. These "secrets" were usually found in books 
that either made their authors fabulously rich or in- 
creased the business of their publishers. The poor 
reader never obtained anything from books of this 
kind, and always paid dearly for vagaries that he 
could have written more cleverly without the aid of 
"spirits!" 

The result of bad books were well known to Paul. 
The people not only read the books, but also con- 
sulted the authors; the mysterious words and actions 
of the so-called "enlightened ones" or "mediums" in 
the dimly-lighted rooms were stupefying. The poor 




Dore 



THE SHIPWRECK 



(See page 203) 



Burning Bad Books 145 

superstitious people could do nothing else but accept 
as true all that was "revealed" to them. Possibly, 
some so-called "prophecies" came true. What was the 
result? The uneducated people believed that every- 
thing said or written by the "enlightened ones" must 
be true. The business gradually increased; the 
"wireless operators" were very active; the length and 
number of the "messages" depended upon the finan- 
cial support of the people. Sometimes the poor vic- 
tims became possessed with the idea that they were 
"wireless stations," and thus they in turn started a 
new line of communication with the "dead," or in 
some unknown manner held scientific conversations 
with the stars! Their minds became extremely 
imaginative; their bodies were physical wrecks; they 
believed no more in God; they actually worshipped 
their own supposed mystic power; and finally, cutting 
themselves away from God's grace, they became 
agents of Satan. Almost anything could be expected 
of such people who loved evil and hated virtue; they 
were completely under the control of the Evil One, 
and thus accomplished unnatural feats with the poor 
victims under their inlluence. The books and writ- 
ings of such people were to be condemned. All Cath- 
olics were forbidden to take part in any superstitious 
practices or to read bad books. Paul was the "Cen- 
sor of Books," and from his hands the Catholics re- 
ceived the first "Index of Forbidden Books." 

A great deal was to be done in Ephesus. Paul was 
thoroughly convinced that he must "convert" the 
city. Its books were to be burned, its idols destroyed, 



146 Paul, Hero and Saint 

and its people converted to Jesus! Such were the 
ambitions of Paul the constructive Missioner, as he 
left his friends at Antioch. The entire journey 
through Syria and Asia Minor was one of preparation 
for his vast undertakings in the city of Ephesus. 
The Holy Ghost was to enkindle the fire of God's 
Love in Paul's heart and renew the whole face of the 
earth. The Apostle, whose Letters contained over 
one hundred references and acknowledgments to the 
Holy Ghost, was never forgetful of the fact, that it 
was the Love of God dwelling within his living 
"temple of the Holy Ghost," that gave him ambition, 
courage and perseverance in all his work. As a 
gentle "dove of peace" to comfort the world, and as 
a gleaming "tongue of fire" to sanctify the loving 
hearts of men, so indeed was the Holy Ghost to con- 
tinue His mission for all times. With such thoughts 
uppermost in his mind, Paul the Zealot of the Holy 
Ghost finally arrived at Ephesus. His first survey of 
the city resulted in an extraordinary discovery of cer- 
tain men who said, "we have not so much as heard 
whether there be a Holy Ghost." Having only been 
baptized in the baptism of St. John the Baptist, which 
merely prepared them for the Sacrament of Baptism 
and only acted as a penitential stepping-stone to the 
Church-door of the Sacrament of Baptism, they were 
soon made well acquainted with the divine power of 
the Holy Ghost. Paul conferred the Sacrament of 
Baptism upon them, and then signed them "with the 
Sign of the Cross" and anointed them "with the 
Chrism of Salvation in the Name of the Father and of 



Burning Bad Books 147 

the Son and of the Holy Ghost." They received the 
Sacrament of Confirmation and were made "strong 
and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ." 
God the Father was their Creator; God the Son was 
their Redeemer; and God the Holy Ghost was their 
Sanctifier. They learned the Mystery of the Blessed 
Trinity — One God in Three Divine Persons! 

In order to establish a Church in the heart of the 
city's sinfulness, Paul took up his residence with 
Aquila and Prisca the tent-makers, at whose home, 
many converts were made through the noble work 
of the eloquent speaker Apollo. After preaching in 
the synagogue for some time, the academy of a 
learned professor, named Tyrannus, was converted 
into a Catholic church. Here for two years "all they 
who dwelt in Asia heard the Word of the Lord, both 
Jews and Gentiles; and God wrought by the hand of 
Paul more than common miracles." Thus the ac- 
tivities of the Church were centred in a Catholic 
home, a Jewish synagogue, and a Gentile academy! 
The hearts of the faithful were enkindled with the 
Love of God, and the Holy Ghost was renewing the 
whole face of the earth! 

The bad books were burned ! Thousands of books 
from the public libraries and homes of the Ephesians 
were thrown into the great bonfire on the main 
street. The Catholics and even many Jews and Gen- 
tiles had burned the "black and white records" of 
their past lives. The mysterious books on magic, 
sorcery, spiritism, astrology, necromancy, metemp- 
sychosis and demonology, were all thrown into the 



148 



Paul, Hero and Saint 



flames. The books were valued at nine thousand 
dollars, but they were not worth one cent. Did Paul 
succeed? He had converted the people! He had 



burned the bad books ! 
the idols ! 



His next work was to destroy 



CHAPTER XXIV 
The Idol-Makers' Strike at Ephesus 

The congregation that attended "The Lord's Sup- 
per," otherwise better known as "The Sacrifice of 
the Mass," was very large. The crowd of worshippers 
that knelt before the gayly dressed idol of Diana was 
growing smaller. Paul's work was bringing souls to 
God; he had shown the Ephesians that, although they 
had "professed themselves to be wise, they had be- 
come fools, changing the glory of the incorruptible 
God into the likeness or image of a corruptible man." 
The preaching of Paul was the Teaching of Jesus, 
which has not changed to the present day in the 
Catholic Church. 

However, when you see Catholics, who are sup- 
posed to know Christian Doctrine, go into a Catholic 
church and carelessly pass the altar, whose taber- 
nacle contains Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, 
in order to light candles and pray before the statue 
of some saint, stop and think! How well they scan- 
dalize non-Catholics, and how often they disgust well- 
trained Catholics! How readily they lead unedu- 
cated people to think that their devotional practices 
are the essence of our religion ! How often have they 
caused people to doubt whether our religion is the 
same today as it was in the days of Paul! A true 

149 



150 Paul, Hero and Saint 

and pious Catholic always prays first to Jesus in the 
Most Blessed Sacrament, and then visits a shrine or 
altar of Our Blessed Mother Mary or some Saint for 
the purpose of obtaining a favor from Jesus, or of 
giving thanks to Jesus through His Saints for some 
assistance received. The Blessed Virgin Mary and 
all the Saints only intercede for us; and they always 
stand before us as grand examples of undivided devo- 
tion, service and love for Jesus. The statues in them- 
selves are without power, for they are only "images," 
intended to give good thoughts, which may eventually 
lead us to perform good deeds. As we believe that 
Jesus, Our God, is really and truly present in the 
Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, so, too, do we believe 
as Paul taught the Church of Ephesus, that we must 
"walk as children of the light," giving "glory to God 
in the Highest" first; then, honor to God's Saints. 

Paul's preaching and teaching was a bit too radical 
for the Ephesians. They felt that many citizens were 
losing faith in Diana, and through the rapid growth 
of the Catholic Church many pagans were drifting 
into unbelief. "If Diana be so great and powerful, 
surely she would prevent this new religion from grow- 
ing!" Such was the decision of many dissatisfied 
worshippers of Diana. Diana was only an idol made 
of ebony, marble, wood, gold and silver. She was 
most gorgeously decorated with jewels and orna- 
ments; and she resided in a temple which was con- 
sidered one of the seven wonders of the world! Al- 
though so wonderfully surrounded by all the works 
of art, yet Diana was absolutely helpless. Her very 



The Idol-Makers 9 Strike at Ephesus 151 

appearance could hardly inspire anyone to perform 
a noble deed. However, the majesty of her sur- 
roundings filled her worshippers with awe and fear; 
hence, they cried out constantly: "Great is Diana of 
the Ephesians!" The idol-makers joined in the 
chorus. Not only were the people to visit the temple 
of Diana, but they were to carry about their persons 
and retain in their homes, a miniature silver temple 
or an idol of the goddess. It was a wonderful reli- 
gion for silversmiths and idol-makers! 

Timothy and Erastus had been sent to Macedonia; 
Paul was master of Asia Minor. However, it was not 
surprising to Paul when he received the sad news of 
the Church at Corinth. Every bit of sunshine was 
always followed by a storm! Could he do anything 
for the "black-listed" city? Certainly! He could 
write a Letter to the Corinthians ! He could tell and 
did tell them what he thought of them. They were 
to be prudent in everything they did; for, although 
"all things are lawful to me," yet Paul insisted "all 
things do not edify." That was enough for the inno- 
cent ones, who unconsciously imitated the pagans in 
their customs and pleasures. A certain "wolf in 
sheep's clothing," that is a bad Catholic, was excom- 
municated; Paul told the good members of the 
Church to "put the evil one away." There was no 
excuse for this man. If he wished to be a Catholic, 
he should have lived as such, by obeying the laws of 
the Church. Just as any Country exiles a dangerous 
alien, or imprisons a criminal, who will not obey the 
laws of the Country, so, too, does the Catholic Church 



152 Paul, Hero and Saint 

exile or excommunicate bad Catholics. These ex- 
communicated persons, as you know, are not al- 
lowed to go to Holy Communion, and are refused 
Christian burial, if they die in their sins. Just as 
the Catholic Church acts today, so it acted in the days 
of Paul. 

Another thing, which Paul made very clear to the 
Corinthians, concerned the Sacrament of Matrimony 
and the life of celibacy. He realized that everybody 
had a vocation either for the married or the unmar- 
ried state in life; and hence, he told his readers to 
"let every man abide with God, wherein he was 
called.'* The Marriage ties were only to be broken 
by the death of either party, and even if father and 
mother should be separated because of some serious 
reason, they as Catholics could not marry again. The 
Catholic marriage was ordained for replenishing the 
earth with Catholic children, who were eventually to 
become children of God in Heaven; it was, further- 
more, instituted by God for the true consolation of 
men and women to enable them to bear their cross 
and endure the trials of life more bravely. The union 
of a Catholic man and woman, in the bonds of the 
Sacrament of Matrimony, was always to be a type of 
the indissoluble union of Christ with the Catholic 
Church. 

To the people, who preferred to live a pure and 
chaste life of virginity in the unmarried state, Paul 
said "it is good for them if they so continue, even as 
I." Such a life Paul himself led, and he recognized 
that others had a vocation to the same state in life. 



The Idol-Makers 9 Strike at Ephesus 153 

To those preferring the married life, he clearly ad- 
vised: "Let them marry." To those of his own 
peculiar state of life, namely, the Priesthood, Paul 
gave as a reason for the life of celibacy, that "he 
that is without a wife is solicitous for the things that 
belong to the Lord, how he may please God." Of 
course, that was not the only reason for the unique 
life of a Priest; the greatest reason of all, which you 
know quite well, is that Jesus Christ Himself 
led such a life. Jesus is the grand Exemplar 
for every Catholic Priest, who is free as the birds of 
the air, to come and go at the will of his Bishop; to 
visit the frozen ice-bound fields of Alaska or to travel 
over the torrid sands of Africa; to visit the sick with- 
out fear of contagion, or to follow the fighting sol- 
dier through all the dangers of the battlefield; yes! 
as "another Christ," the Priest is ever free and obe- 
dient to the Will of God to sacrifice himself to the 
greater honor and glory of Jesus, the Eternal Priest ! 
As Paul became quite eloquent at times, his Letter 
was quite lengthy. In summing up the various doc- 
trines of the Church, he proved that after all Christ's 
miracles were examined, the strongest argument that 
He was really and truly both God and Man, was to 
be found in His Resurrection. "If Christ be not 
risen again, then is our preaching vain and your faith 
is also vain." With regard to the Resurrection of 
our bodies on the day of the Last Judgment, he 
spoke thus: "We all shall rise again: in a moment, 
in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for 
the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall rise again 



154 Paul, Hero and Saint 

incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this 
corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal 
put on immortality." Having thus given the Corin- 
thians a real lesson in Christian Doctrine, and re- 
minding them "to contribute to the support of their 
pastors," by dropping some offering into the collec- 
tion basket every Sunday, Paul advised one and all 
to remain "faithful" to their Church to the very end 
of life. Once a Catholic! always a Catholic! The 
prize to be obtained was not a myrtle garland, olive 
branch, or a laurel wreath, but the "incorruptible 
crown" of a Saint in Heaven. 

Having sealed the Letter, Paul intrusted it to 
Stephanas, Fortunatus and Acha'icus as special mes- 
sengers to the Church of Corinth. The great Theo- 
logian of Christ's Church sat in silent meditation. 
Suddenly, he heard a low murmuring of voices that 
gradually increased until it developed into the shrieks 
and curses of a howling mob. An unruly mob surged 
to and fro in front of Paul's little house; curses 
mingled with blasphemy; excitement and frenzy ruled 
the crowd; and Paul saw that it was led by the silver- 
smith Demetrius, who made silver idols and temples 
of Diana. The cry of everyone was "Great is Diana 
of the Ephesians!" Paul knew the mob and its 
leader. The rich Demetrius had incited his work- 
ingmen to take the law in their own hands ! It was 
the silversmiths' strike! They had gone on a strike, 
not for higher wages, but as a protest against the 
Catholic Church, which required people to believe 
that God was a Spirit ; because Paul denied the divin- 



The Idol-Makers 9 Strike at Ephesus 155 

ity of their idols; and for the reason that he had 
openly declared "they are not gods, which are made 
by hand." The strikers were completely under the 
influence of their employer, Demetrius, whose bus- 
iness had been affected by Paul's preaching. 

The howling crowds were making their way to the 
Theatre with poor Gaius and Aristarchus, who were 
well known to have been Paul's companions from 
Macedonia. At the height of the disorder, the 
crowds lost their leader, and nothing but vile curses 
and unearthly yells filled the air. Some cried one 
thing, some another. Being at a loss sometimes 
what to shout, they all cried out: "Great is Diana of 
the Ephesians!" The whole tumult was begun by 
one man, but now the mob was uncontrollable! 
That is the story of all mob scenes, riots and public 
tumults. Many people are easily led to follow the 
crowd and shout with the majority. If we follow 
the crowd of wild and irrational men, we, too, may 
praise a man one day and condemn him the next. 
Under the disguise of demanding our rights and of 
procuring "a living wage," we may be tempted to de- 
stroy property and even take away the life of our 
employers — if we follow the crowd of cold-blooded 
and violent men. Under the banners of patriotism 
we may misjudge loyal citizens of espionage and 
treachery — if we follow the crowd of munition- 
capitalists and military-draft-slackers, who falsely 
pretend to "keep the home fires burning." Beneath 
the shadow of the Cross of Jesus, we may calumniate 
and persecute our own fellow-Catholics — if we fol- 



156 Paul, Hero and Saint 

low the crowd of hypocrites and honor-seeking 
propagators of the Faith. Paul was "a Follower of 
Christ" and could not follow the crowd! 

The Missioner of Ephesus stood at the latticed 
window of his little room; he saw his two disciples 
being dragged with violence to the Theatre; he heard 
himself cursed and ridiculed; he felt the "Anti- 
Christ Spirit" overshadowing the glory of his recent 
work; and he realized that he stood face to face with 
the Arch-enemy of Catholicism. His first endeavor 
was to rescue his two disciples from the angry mob; 
he hurriedly planned to enter the Theatre at the risk 
of his own life. Paul was indeed courageous! but 
there are times when prudence is the "better part of 
valor." To enter the Theatre under the fervid heat 
of the mob's intense excitement, would have meant 
death for Paul. God had greater labors for his 
Apostle to perform before he was to receive the palm 
of martyrdom! Persuaded and almost physically 
restrained by his most intimate friends, Paul finally 
remained away from the mass-meeting of Socialists 
and Bolshevists. 

For a period of two hours the crowds yelled, when 
at the instigation of the Town Clerk, of whom they 
were somewhat afraid, silence was at last restored. 
The Town Clerk told them that the Theatre was no 
place for a Court trial. If the two men, Gaius and 
Aristarchus, were guilty of any crime, which he 
said they were not, they should be brought before 
the Court of Justice and the Proconsuls for trial. 
Law and order were to be preserved! Violence and 



The Idol-Makers 9 Strike at Ephesus 157 

disorder would not be tolerated ! If the strikers had 
a just cause, it was to be presented to the Courts in a 
legal and lawful way to the proper authorities; and 
the administration of justice was never to be left to 
the prejudices and bigotry of an excited mob! The 
State was the proper authority to punish all crimes 
against the laws of the Country! With such a clear 
statement of the rights and privileges of citizens, the 
crowd lost its power and became fearful lest the par- 
ticipants should themselves be called into Court to 
answer for the public disturbance. The tempest 
subsided and cooler heads prevailed. The mass- 
meeting was dismissed and the two disciples were set 
free. The mob had declared itself guilty and the 
two Catholics were proved innocent. It was another 
triumph of Catholicism! 

Paul looked at the Cross which hung over his desk; 
he took his pen in hand; he closed his eyes in thought; 
and then he wrote these undying words : 

"O the depth of the riches of the wisdom 
And of the knowledge of God! 
How incomprehensible are His judgments! 
How unsearchable His ways I" 

They were only a few words ! Only a few thoughts 
concerning the Providence of God! Paul wished to 
say many other things of importance to the Romans. 
Yes ! He would write a Letter to them from Corinth ! 
That was his resolution as he arose from his desk, 
and laid aside the pen that was mightier than the 
emperor's sword. 



CHAPTER XXV 

The Ambassador 

It was true that the Town Clerk had quelled the 
idol-makers' strike, but it was also a well-known fact 
that Paul's life was in danger. The Catholics of 
Ephesus were boycotted and the "Black Hand" of 
the labor agitators threatened to kill the champion 
of Catholic morality. A meeting of the Catholics was 
called, and Paul, after explaining the serious condi- 
tion of the Home and Foreign Missions, announced it 
was God's Will that he should leave Ephesus and 
visit Macedonia and Greece. The disciples under- 
stood that their leader's life was in danger, and as- 
sisted Paul in preparing for his journey to the West. 

Going directly to Troas, where he had determined 
to meet Titus, who had an answer to his First Letter 
to the Corinthians, Paul waited in vain for the ap- 
pearance of his special messenger, and finally took 
the boat for Macedonia. Here in Macedonia, it was 
not only that Titus brought the desired answer from 
the Corinthians, but Doctor Luke, Timothy and 
Erastus, his three efficient disciples, most happily 
received Paul into their fields of labor. The meet- 
ing of these zealous Missionaries had naturally been 
a joyous one for themselves and a source of consola- 
tion for their apostolic leader. 

158 



The Ambassador 159 

The news from Corinth was the most important of 
all things. Paul had always been extremely inter- 
ested in the "beautiful evil city," and when he sent 
his reprimanding Letter to the Catholics of that city, 
he may have partly expected to receive some signs of 
disapproval for his severity to them. However, the 
answer that Titus brought from Corinth was quite 
to the contrary. The report was suggestive of a 
bright future! The Church promised to "reform it- 
self!" It would not go outside of its own portals for 
a thorough house cleaning, for it believed in "reform 
within" and set about to purge out the old leaven 
of sin for the new manna of grace. The Letter had 
effected a true reformation of the Church at Corinth ! 
Another Letter must be sent to give the Corinthians 
encouragement in their struggle, and it must assure 
them of the confidence of their leader, who believed 
in their repentance! 

"Great is my confidence for you; great is my glorying 
for you. 
I am filled with comfort; I exceedingly abound 
With joy in all our tribulations. 

I most gladly will spend and be spent for your souls, 
Although loving you more, I be loved less." 

Consider the beautiful thought contained in that 
last sentence! Paul promised that he would do all 
things for his repentant children, and realized that in 
return for his sacrifices, he might be loved less and 
even hated for doing so. That was the real Mis- 
sionary spirit ! That was and is at all times, the true 



160 Paul, Hero and Saint 

spirit of the Catholic Priesthood, which sacrifices 
self, cares not for the condemnation of the whole 
world, and works only to save souls for Jesus. How 
would you like to work as Paul did and receive as 
wages — sharp rods, stones and chains? How would 
you like to suffer all things "in stripes, in prisons, in 
seditions, in labors, in watchings, in fastings, by honor 
and dishonor; by evil report and good report; as de- 
ceivers and yet true; as unknown and yet known; as 
dying and behold we live!" and as a living Martyr 
receive as your reward — scorn, insults and curses? 

Paul could hardly be induced to forget, although 
he might forgive the people of Philippi for their 
cruelty toward him; however, it was to the Catholics 
of Philippi that he came "in chastity, in knowledge, 
in long suffering, in sweetness, in the Holy Ghost, in 
charity unfeigned." These Catholics, although re- 
garded as being very poor, had nevertheless done a 
great deal more for the Foreign Missions than many 
of the richer parishes and dioceses of the world. It 
was the old story told over again that the poor peo- 
ple, not the extremely poor, but the middle class of 
Catholics, do more for the .Church than the very 
wealthy. In the non-Catholic churches you will find 
many millionaires spending great fortunes for their 
Foreign and Home Missions. Of course, these men 
are to be commended for their philanthropy; but in 
many cases their gifts do not mean as much in the 
sight of the Lord, as the charitable offerings of their 
poorer brethren. In the Catholic Church it can be 
unreservedly said, that the vast amount of churches, 



The Ambassador 161 

school buildings, convents, charitable institutions, or- 
phanages, hospitals and reformatories, ?are for the 
most part built by the charitable offerings of the 
middle class of Catholics. As it is today, so was it 
in the days of Paul. The collection for the sufferers 
in Jerusalem was a success in Macedonia; and Titus 
bearing the Second Letter to the Corinthians, went to 
the "beautiful evil city" with instructions to prepare 
the Catholics to make a contribution of "a gift freely 
offered of your charity, and not one wrung from 
avarice/' 

The Corinthians understood that Paul was "an 
Ambassador of Christ," and prepared rightly for his 
coming. Macedonia had been thoroughly visited and 
was found to be in very good condition under the per- 
sonal guidance of Doctor Luke. The Ambassador 
of Christ left Macedonia and passed over the Egna- 
tian Road to Illyria and Dalmatia; and thence through 
Achaia his journey was ended at Corinth. 

The Second Letter to the Corinthians had worked 
miraculously upon the people. Paul had told them 
that he was determined "not to come to them again 
in sorrow" and his hopes were fulfilled. The great 
sinner of the city had done penance, and he had been 
forgiven and comforted "lest perhaps such an one 
be swallowed up with too much sorrow." The whole 
Church had reformed itself. It had not gone outside 
to do its house cleaning. Truly could the Ambassa- 
dor of Christ exclaim: "Great is my confidence for 
you; great is my glorying for you. I am filled with 
comfort; I exceedingly abound with joy in all our 



162 Paul, Hero and Saint 

tribulations." He plainly saw that his First Letter 
had made the sinners sorrowful, but he did not re- 
pent for having been severe in his condemnation of 
their vices. No! "Another Christ" must never 
hesitate to reprimand the sinner as Jesus Himself 
did. Justice, as well as Charity and Mercy, was a 
Virtue of Christ! Paul was glad, not alone because 
the people were made sorrowful, but because they 
were made sorrowful "unto penance." His First 
Letter had brought sorrow to the people and they did 
penance; whilst his Second Letter encouraged them 
and helped them to make progress in virtue. The 
"Man in Christ," who fourteen years before "was 
caught up into paradise and heard secret words, 
which it is not granted to man to utter," had at last 
arrived in Corinth and his many happy friends were 
all gathered around him. 

What a glorious assemblage of zealots for the 
House of God was gathered together at Corinth ! The 
clergy as well as the laity were joined together in one 
welkin ring of joy and enthusiasm. In that notable 
gathering we find none other than Paul, the Apostle 
to the Gentiles, with his Bishops, Timothy, Titus and 
Doctor Luke; among the other distinguished per- 
sons were Sopater of Berea; Aristarchus and Secun- 
dus of Thessalonica; Gaius of Derbe; Tychicus of 
Colossae; Trophimus of Ephesus; Justus from 
Syria; Lucius from Cyrene; Jason of Athens; and 
Stephanas, Fortunatus, Acha'icus, Quartus, Caius, 
Erastus the city treasurer, and Tertius the public 
stenographer from Corinth. The meeting was in- 



The Ambassador 163 

deed an Ecclesiasical Synod and a Conference for 
the Laity! Paul's labors were at last showing re- 
sults! Greater achievements were in store for the 
Catholic Church! 

The Missionary work was to be systematized and 
energy was to be conserved. The actual work of 
converting the Gentiles was to be perfected by a uni- 
form and definite explanation of the dogmas and 
pious beliefs of the Church. The Church had re- 
ceived its Doctrine from Christ and that precious 
treasure was to be zealously guarded as the "Theol- 
ogy" of the Catholic Church; and the Church as the 
Guardian of Truth, was to be one and the same for 
all times and for all -the people of the whole world. 
It was to be holy, since many of its members led 
holy lives, and especially because its Founder Jesus 
Christ was holy; it was to be Catholic in spreading 
out over all parts of the world for all people in all 
ages; and, it was to be Apostolic, because it originated 
with the Apostles, who received their orders for 
forming the Church from Jesus Himself. The 
"beautiful evil city" was suddenly made a "holy 
city" by the presence of the Church's holy leaders! 
Paul's message to his converts was one of comfort 
and encouragement. He was Christ's noble Am- 
bassador ! 



CHAPTER XXVI 
Unsatisfied But Not Dissatisfied 

Were you ever disgusted with life? Probably 
there was a good reason for your discouragement, 
but that never justified you in becoming downhearted 
and despondent. The most successful men in the 
world have gone through the school of "hard knocks" 
and their path of glory has always been "a rocky 
road." The reason why a good man has so many 
stones thrown across his path, is simply because he 
is a person who is determined to climb higher and 
higher. If he were a rolling stone that gathered no 
moss, nobody would bother with him. The world 
allows such a man to roll on until he reaches the 
foothills of Life in the school of failure, and then the 
world laughs at him. When a man tries to climb a 
hill, his efforts are often checked by these rolling 
stones; the world often rains torrents of criticism 
upon him because he strives for "the higher things;" 
and all the powers of human nature seem to darken 
his "inner life" as dreary clouds of a destructive 
storm darken the beauties of Nature. 

Paul was a man who had determined to reach the 
top of the hill. He was a climber — not a rolling 
stone. He had met many rolling stones in life, and 

164 



Unsatisfied But Not Dissatisfied 165 

they had at times tried to hold him back and ob- 
struct his work. He had also heard the world criti- 
cize him, but he preferred to be "a fool for Christ," 
and let the criticisms of his enemies pass "into one 
ear and out the other." His own impulsive nature 
had ofttimes become disturbed and sometimes 
alarmed at the mountains of labor that he was 
forced to climb. Paul was never dissatisfied! He 
might have been discouraged at times, but such feel- 
ings come to even the bravest men, and as the sun- 
shine follows every storm, so cheerfulness* followed 
Paul's discouragements. He was not dissatisfied — 
he was unsatisfied. Paul's ambition to succeed for 
the sake of Jesus was without limitation and could 
never be halted. No! he was not the kind of a man 
to stop! He went straight ahead. His goal was be- 
yond the stars! 

In the midst of his joyful visit to Corinth, Paul 
had received "bad news." Some evil persons had 
thrown stones in the path of one of his successful 
Missions. The little Church of Galatia was climbing 
up hill. It was only a young congregation and had 
many troubles to encounter and much criticism to 
bear. Paul realized that every newly established 
Parish would have a rough road to travel, and he had 
hoped that his converts would be patient and keep 
on climbing until he could visit them again. How- 
ever, his hopes were shattered to pieces. Some Cath- 
olics were easily discouraged, and when they were 
criticized by the Gentiles, they became despondent. 
The fact, however, that certain teachers of the 



166 Paul, Hero and Saint 

Church had caused a great deal of trouble among the 
converts was worst of all. These false teachers, like 
cowardly officers in an army, instead of leading the 
people up the hill and over all obstructions, told them 
to stop climbing, to retreat, to try to please the world 
and to make the Catholic religion one of pleasure in- 
stead of work. 

What could Paul do? He could not go at once to 
Galatia in order to settle their troubles. No ! that he 
could not do. But — he could write a letter to the in- 
constant ones of the Galatian Church. Paul said 
what he thought! He did not camouflage his feel- 
ings, but called things by their proper names. His 
greetings to the weaklings of Galatia ran thus: 

"O senseless Galatians! who hath bewitched you 
that you should not obey the truth, before whose 
eyes Jesus Christ hath been set forth, crucified 
among you?" 

Paul had purposely called the Galatians "sense- 
less" for their conduct, which was, .indeed, without 
sense or meaning. They had most foolishly tried to 
enforce the ceremonies of the Jews upon their con- 
verts from Paganism, and had made the distinction 
between Greek-Catholics and Jewish-Catholics. The 
whole Church was in an uproar ! Christian Doctrine 
was again misinterpreted by some poor theologians! 
Paul had only to repeat for about the hundred and 
tenth time the Teaching of Jesus Christ and the Laws 
of the unchangeable Catholic Church. 



Unsatisfied But Not Dissatisfied 167 

"You are all children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 
For as many of you as have been baptized in Christ, 

have put on Christ. 
There is neither Jew nor Greek; 
For you are all one in Christ Jesus." 

These words were plain enough. When a convert 
was baptized, he became a Catholic. That was the 
end to it! The letter settled many disputes and 
begged the Catholics to beware of the false teachers 
who spoke a great deal about Catholic dogma, but 
knew very little about the same. Paul also laid spe- 
cial stress upon one thing in which these mischief- 
makers indulged, namely, to sow dissension among 
the converts by constantly relating a supposed seri- 
ous quarrel of Paul with St. Peter at Antioch. Paul 
explained his troubles in a very forcible way. They 
consisted in this, that St. Peter and Barnabas, out of 
regard for the converts from the Jewish religion, 
separated themselves from the Gentile converts and 
did not eat with them. This act most naturally dis- 
pleased the Gentile converts. However, we must re- 
member that this displeasure was not caused by a 
breach of faith or morals, but was the result of dif- 
ferent opinions concerning ceremonies and rubrics. 

Paul eventually heard of St. Peter's action. He 
went at once to see St. Peter; he had a heart to heart 
talk with his superior; and the question concerning 
the Jewish and Gentile converts was settled for all 
times. The former resolutions of the Council of 
Jerusalem were to be adhered to, and both Gentile 
converts and Jewish converts were to be treated 



168 Paul, Hero and Saint 

alike. The Catholic Church was to be one and the 
same for all nations, in all places, and for all ages. 
The ceremonial act of eating with the Jewish con- 
verts and avoiding; the Gentile converts was mutually 
adjusted by St. Peter and the Apostle to the Gentiles. 
St. Peter and the Apostle Paul were not enemies. 
No! They were friends unto death! This we shall 
fully realize before our story is ended. 

In addition to explaining the aforesaid difficulties, 
the Letter also warned the Galatians of the many 
rolling stones that would naturally hinder their up- 
hill work; and it encouraged the weak Catholics to 
become strong and stalwart soldiers of Jesus Christ! 
It was a confidential talk to. Paul's converts and was 
written by the Apostle's own hand. "See, what a 
Letter I have written to you with my own hands." 
He was not dissatisfied with his converts. No! He 
was unsatisfied with their report and labored with 
his own hand to change the "bad news" into the 
"good news" of his Letter. The Epistle was finished 
and it was a good foundation, upon which the Gala- 
tians could build their faith. It was the Master's 
Masterpiece ! 



CHAPTER XXVII 
The Stenographer's Masterpiece 

While Paul's Letter was speeding its way to the 
Galatians, he was thinking of the Catholics in a quite 
different part of the world. The Letter was making 
its way eastward and Paul's thoughts were turned 
toward a western city, whose people enjoyed the 
highest praise for their perseverance in the Faith. 
These good Catholics were "full of love, replenished 
with all knowledge" to such an extent, that, during 
the absence of their Bishop, they were "able to ad- 
monish one another." The members of this glo- 
rious diocese were mostly converts from the Gentile 
world, and, instead of provoking dissensions, they 
were known to "follow after the things that are of 
peace." It was just the kind of a community in 
which Paul could feel at home, and he desired more 
and more to see the "Eternal City." 

The first seeds of Catholicism had been sown in 
Rome by certain Israelites, who during their visit to 
Jerusalem on the first Pentecost Sunday, had heard 
the Apostles preach and were numbered amongst 
the three thousand baptized converts. The first 
group of Roman Catholics was then increased by the 
visit of St. Peter to their city; and thus the Church 
gradually developed in the Jewish synagogues, but 
more rapidly in the homes of the Gentiles. The fact 

169 



170 Paul, Hero and Saint 

that Rome was the capital of the whole Empire, 
helped in a great measure to make the Church of 
Rome stand out more prominently above all the 
other Churches of the Empire. In addition to these 
advantages, Rome had also been visited by many of 
Paul's disciples from Ephesus, Corinth and Mace- 
donia, who also helped to strengthen the growing 
Church. And thus Paul realized what opportunities 
awaited him, if he should ever visit Rome. 

"Forward! On to Rome!" That was Paul's new 
slogan. He would see Rome some day! Whatever 
he started out to do, he always accomplished. How- 
ever, a few other things of importance were to be 
taken care of, before a journey to the Eternal City 
could be made. There would be no harm in writing 
a Letter to the Romans. Indeed ! it might do a world 
of good in encouraging even those who were suc- 
cessful! The Letter to the Galatians was written by 
the Apostle's own hand, but the Letter to the Ro- 
mans was to be written by the hand of Tertius, the 
stenographer of Corinth. Paul was to be the dic- 
tator ! 

It was in the silence of the house of Caius, Paul's 
host, that Tertius sat at the table and awaited the 
dictation of his master. Paul's meditation was 
ended; the flood-gates of his heart and soul were 
opened; and impulsively he paced up and down the 
narrow confines of his little room. He stood for a 
moment at the opened window and looked over the 
"beautiful evil city," whose northern and eastern 
boundaries were marked by the summits of Parnassus 



The Stenographer s Masterpiece 171 

and the Helicon and the mirrored waters of the Corin- 
thian Gulf. The vista of history's pages unfolded 
beneath his scutinizing eye. Human nature was, in 
reality, much the same all over the world, and his 
words to the Romans might, just as well as not, be 
his recent words to the Galatians. The Theology of 
Christ's Church was the same for all times, for all 
people, and for all places. Every soul was to be sub- 
ject to "higher powers, for there is no power but from 
God," and all men were to be "of one mind, one 
toward another;" yes! there was to be but "one Lord, 
one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of all, 
Who is above all and through all and in us all." 
Assuredly, the Letter to the Galatians would be the 
fabric, around which Paul would elaborate the old 
truths of the Eternal God and "concerning His Son, 
Who was made to Him of the seed of David, accord- 
ing to the flesh." 

Tertius most scrupulously recorded the rapid-fire 
dictation of his master, whose thoughts came more 
rapidly than his lips could move, whose heart 
throbbed impassionately with love for all men, and 
whose soul soared swiftly beyond the starry heavens 
to God. The Catholics were praised for their love of 
Christ and their knowledge of His Church, while the 
Jews were reprimanded for their idle boasts of being 
"the chosen people of God," when they did not obey 
the Commandments of God. The Catholics were 
given good advice in order that they might continue 
"loving one another with the charity of brotherhood," 
and thus happily practice all the Christian virtues in 



172 Paul, Hero and Saint 

their everyday lives. They were to let their love "be 
without hypocrisy," to "abhor that which is evil," 
and to remain "steadfast in well-doing." The great 
question concerning the manner in which men are 
saved "through the Redemption, that is in Christ 
Jesus," "being justified freely by His Grace," and thus 
becoming "sons of God," was explained to the adult 
converts of the Church in Rome in Paul's own pecu- 
liar and impulsive style of argument. 

Tertius finished the long and erudite Letter, which 
in turn was translated into Latin for those who did 
not understand the Greek language. Phoebe, a 
faithful Church-worker of Cenchrae who was going 
to Rome on special business, was to deliver the Let- 
ter to the Romans whom Paul hoped soon to visit on 
his proposed journey to Spain. 

This good woman, Phcebe, it must be remembered, 
was a Deaconess of the Church. Just as men re- 
ceived a vocation from Jesus and became members 
of the Catholic Hierarchy by their Ordination, so, 
too, were there many talented and devout women, 
whom Jesus called to become members of the Reli- 
gious Order of Deaconesses. Today you would nat- 
urally call such good women "Sisters." The forma- 
tion of these Religious Orders was inspired by the 
example of the Blessed Virgin Mary, "The Hand- 
maid of the Lord," and some "Holy Women" who 
assisted and ministered unto Jesus in His great work 
of building and maintaining His Church. The work 
of caring for the sick, assisting the poor, fulfilling 
the duties of hospitality, instructing converts and 



The Stenographer s Masterpiece 173 

educating Catholic children, were all joined to a life 
of Chastity, Poverty and Obedience; and thus, we 
find the rules of the Order of Deaconesses were 
copied after the regulations established for the 
Deacons of the Church. 

Some of these good women followed the example 
of Mary Magdalene, by spending their time in con- 
stant prayer, while others followed the footsteps of 
Martha, by doing the servile work in the service of 
Jesus. Thus arose the Contemplative Orders which 
are always engaged in prayer and meditation, and 
the Active Orders which perform the manual labor 
and further the charitable and educational work in 
the Church. While one group prayed to Jesus for 
help, the other group went out into the dangers of 
the whole world. Ever receiving the help of Jesus 
through the prayers of the Contemplative Orders, 
the Active Orders built and maintained hospitals, 
orphanages, homes for the aged and the poor, paro- 
chial schools and institutions of higher learning. 
Thus not only in the monasteries of religious men, 
but also in the convents of religious women, the "fires 
of Faith" were ever growing and casting the warmth 
of Christ's love upon the whole face of the earth. 

A woman thus solemnly dedicated to God in the 
service of Christ, was to bring the Theology and 
Philosophy of the Catholic Church to the greatest 
city of the Roman Empire! What a significant fact 
that another "handmaid of the Lord" should bring 
unto a darkened world the "message of Eternal 
Light!" 



174 Paul, Hero and Saint 

The Catholics of Rome would not fear the Theology 
of such a Letter, for they loved to know the law and 
they were known to obey it. It was a common truth 
that the Romans were most docile to the most severe 
law's enforcement. Greece was the land of philos- 
ophers, but Rome was the city of law-makers. Rome 
made the laws and Greece explained them. Paul's 
Letter was expressive of Rome's obedience, when he 
clearly stated "your obedience is published in every 
place. I rejoice, therefore, in you." The Catholics 
in Rome received the Letter, which was a paragon of 
the dictator's art and the stenographer's master- 
piece. 

"Forward! On to Rome!" was Paul's battle-cry. 
However, not to hasten the natural course of events, 
Paul was first to return to Jerusalem. He was first 
to visit the "Holy City" and then he was to see the 
"Eternal City." 



CHAPTER XXVIII 

Asleep During the Sermon 

Three months had been spent in Greece, in preach- 
ing to the Churches of Achaia and in writing Letters 
to the Galatians and the Romans. The day for sail- 
ing back to Palestine arrived at last, but Paul learn- 
ing that his enemies were again planning to kill him, 
instead of sailing immediately to Syria, went directly 
northward to Macedonia. Here Timothy and the 
other members of the party took the boat for Troas, 
while Paul remained at Philippi for the Holy Week 
Services. The sad story of the Passion and Death of 
Jesus was to be told to the faithful; and the whole 
week of sorrow was to be concluded with the joyful 
celebration of the Day, which the Lord Himself had 
made — Easter Sunday. That great day was to be 
commemorated again, which had been so influential 
in changing the Lord's Day from Saturday to Sunday 
— a fact not found in Sacred Scripture, but in Sacred 
Tradition. The beauty of the Church's Liturgy was 
to remind all the members of the Church of a funda- 
mental dogma of belief — the Resurrection of Christ 
from the Dead! The High Festival of the New 
Paschal Lamb of God, Who gave Himself to us as the 
"Living Bread which came down from Heaven," and 
the promise, that "he that eateth My Flesh and 

175 



176 Paul, Hero and Saint 

drinketh My Blood, hath everlasting life, and I will 
raise him up on the last day," were to combine most 
forcibly in teaching the doctrine of "the Resurrec- 
tion of the Dead," whereby "in the twinkling of an 
eye" we shall be changed and "shall rise again in- 
corruptible." 

Paul thus remained with Doctor Luke in Philippi 
over the Easter holidays, and then, procuring a boat, 
began a two days' voyage to Troas. The distance 
from Philippi to Troas was not great; two days would 
have been ample time to cover the route; but, as soon 
as the boat emerged from the Bay of Thasos, heavy 
storms drove it over a rather delirious course for five 
days, until it finally reached its destination. For 
seven days the boat was anchored at Troas, during 
which time Paul lost no opportunity in preaching 
and assisting the little struggling Mission of the city. 
In an upper room of a public building, the Catholics 
assembled every Saturday night in order to celebrate 
the Lord's Day, which began at six o'clock Saturday 
evening and ended six o'clock Sunday evening. The 
principal part of the services was the "Breaking of 
Bread," sometimes known as "The Lord's Supper," 
and also termed, "The Sacrifice of the Mass." A 
white-covered table served as an altar upon which the 
Priest offered the Sacrifice of the Mass, and what 
Jesus once did in the Coenacle of Jerusalem, the 
Priest again repeated in commemoration of His Mas- 
ter. Hanging from the ceiling and above the altar 
were many lamps, whilst the traditional burning 
candles cast their devotional light about the room. 



Asleep During the Sermon 177 

Today you will find a Sanctuary Lamp in every 
Catholic Church; it is known to some Catholics as 
"the Eternal Light," because it symbolizes the heart- 
throbbing flames of Christ's abiding love for us in 
the Blessed Sacrament; and because it symbolizes 
"The Light of the World"— Jesus Christ. The 
candles, as you well know, also symbolize Christ as 
the "Light of the World," and in a special manner 
represent the union of the Human Nature with the 
Divine Personality of Jesus. 

In this Church of brightly gleaming lights, Paul 
preached a very lengthy sermon, which, we are told, 
lasted until midnight. A great deal was to be said 
and the hearts of all were to be prepared for the re- 
ception of Holy Communion. Their souls were to 
be made white as snow, their hearts were to be beauti- 
fied as worthy tabernacles for the Real Presence of 
God. Paul instructed them well in their preparation 
for Holy Communion, as he had formerly told the 
Corinthians. No man dared to receive "the Body of 
the Lord" in mortal sin! No! When a person 
wished to receive Holy Communion, he well remem- 
bered Paul's severe command: "Let a man prove 
himself; and so let him eat of this bread and drink 
of the chalice. For he that eateth and drinketh un- 
worthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, 
not discerning the Body of the Lord." It was plainly 
understood that anyone, who receiveth Holy Com- 
munion unworthily, committed a sacrilege. Every 
good Catholic to this very day avoids such a sin, by 
going to Confession to a duly authorized Priest for 



178 Paul, Hero and Saint 

the purpose of obtaining forgiveness for his sins. In 
other words, the Catholic first "proves" or "pre- 
pares" himself in the Sacrament of Penance, which 
Jesus Himself instituted, when He breathed upon 
the Apostles and said: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost, 
whose sins you shall forgive, they are forgiven them, 
and whose sins you shall retain, they are retained." 
As it generally happens in the long sermons and 
instructions of vigorous and zealous Priests and 
Bishops, "the zeal for the House of God" so overfilled 
Paul's heart with fervor, that in speaking to the peo- 
ple, hours of sowing the Word of God seemed to him 
as the fleeting seconds of a golden harvest. Paul felt 
the spirit of the Lord upon him, and he preached with 
great eloquence and enthusiasm. Every muscle and 
fibre of his body seemed to teem with the life and the 
light of the Gospel that he preached. The room was 
crowded to its capacity and the eager listeners sat 
in silence to hear the Apostle of the Gentiles speak. 
The doors were jammed and the window ledges were 
utilized by the usual group of late-comers and early- 
goers. The hour of midnight was approaching, and, 
with the first hours of morning, the Mass would soon 
be said. The Preacher showed no signs of weaken- 
ing, and the sermon went on eloquently, when sud- 
denly there was a cry of horror. The cry went up : 
"He is dead! He is dead!" Paul had not collapsed. 
No! Euthycus, a young man, probably being 
afraid of fires and believing in "safety first," occu- 
pied a window ledge. There he, somewhat tired and 
oppressed by the long sermon, fell asleep and then 



Asleep During the Sermon 179 

fell out the window "from the third loft down" to the 
stone pavement below. 

Great excitement prevailed for quite a while. It 
was a sad sequel to Paul's beautiful sermon. The 
youth was "taken up dead," but the people were told 
"be not troubled, for his soul is in him," and in a 
little while all were made very happy by the return 
of the youth to their midst. The hand of the Lord 
was again seen working in answer to the prayer of 
their great Apostle, who with the first approach of 
the morning of the Lord's Day, offered the Sacrifice 
of the Mass, as their Priest and Bishop. The faith- 
ful came to the "Table of the Lord" and received the 
"Bread of Life," which they knew contained the Body 
and Blood, the Soul and Divinity of their Lord and 
Saviour Jesus Christ. At the conclusion of the Mass, 
another discourse was delivered by the Church's 
guest of honor; and just as the first light of Sunday 
morning cast its golden light over the distant Syrian 
hills, Paul arose from the Agape banquet, and pre- 
pared to go aboard the vessel bound for Palestine. 
The Lord's Day had been sanctified by the Sacrifice 
of the Mass, and the faithful Catholics had fulfilled 
their obligation of "keeping holy the Lord's Day" by 
attending Mass. 

Paul went down to the wharf with his companions 
and friends; all preparations were completed for the 
departure; his companions were aboard the vessel; 
the signals were given, the anchors weighed, and the 
boat left its dock; but — Paul remained ashore. No 
definite reason was given by Paul for his unexpected 



180 Paul, Hero and Saint 

refusal to accompany his friends, but possibly for 
some secret reason in order to deceive his enemies, 
Paul quietly started out to walk the distance from 
Troas to Assos, where he knew the boat would ar- 
rive in a very short time. While the boat was sail- 
ing around Cape Lectum, the lonely traveler had cov- 
ered the entire distance of twenty miles; and, meet- 
ing his companions once more in the early hours of 
Monday morning, he joined their company for the 
voyage to Mitylene, which is one of the cities of the 
Island of Lesbos. Passing Chios with its beautiful 
flower gardens, Miletus was soon reached. Paul re- 
called that the good Catholics of Ephesus were not far 
distant, and his heart yearned to see them once more. 
The vessel was to remain in dock for a short time, 
and thus the Missionaries partly contemplated a visit 
to Ephesus; however, although Paul desired very 
much to see his old converts, yet he dared not return 
on account of the rich idol-maker, Demetrius, who 
might stir up another strike or riot which would only 
do great harm to the Catholics of Ephesus. What 
did Paul do? He felt that he must see some, or, at 
least, a few of his good converts. The question was 
solved! A secret messenger was sent to the Priests 
of Ephesus with the news that Paul was at Miletus 
and would be pleased to see his former converts. 
The news spread like wildfire. In a short time the 
Priests came with their little groups of parishioners 
to visit their heroic Bishop. A meeting was held 
along the seashore. Paul had a heart to heart talk 
with his friends and told them that they were never 



Asleep During the Sermon 181 

to see him again. He was going "to Jerusalem;" he 
had been told by the Holy Ghost that "bands and 
afflictions" were there awaiting him; but calmly he 
comforted his friends by insisting: "I fear none of 
these things, neither do I count my life more precious 
than myself, so that I may consummate my course 
and the ministry of the Word, which I received from 
the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of 
God." Having said these things, the humble Apostle 
"kneeling down," as His Saviour once knelt in the 
Garden of Gethsemane, contemplated his near ap- 
proaching sufferings "and prayed with them all." 
The crowds escorted their beloved Bishop, to whom 
they believed they were to bid farewell for the last 
time. The parting was sad indeed! and "there was 
much weeping among them." As the boat drifted 
slowly out of the harbor, the loving eye of Paul gazed 
intently upon the shore until the last waving hand 
was seen no more. Miletus was soon lost in the dim 
distance and touching the shores of the "rose-land 
of Rhodes," the boat passed through the harbor, 
where the great Colossus or mammoth brass statue 
once stood. The next stopping place was Patara, 
where a Syrian ship, headed for the port of Tyre, was 
found. Arrangements were quickly made to be 
transferred to this boat, and in a few hours the little 
party found itself sailing toward Tyre in Phoenicia. 
Upon arrival at Tyre, seven days were consumed by 
the sailors in unloading the cargo, after which the 
whole voyage was completed by sailing into port at 
Ptolemais or Acre. From this city, which you know 



182 Paul, Hero and Saint 

quite well, is situated at the base of Mount Garmel, 
Paul and his companions went to Csesarea and ended 
the Third Missionary Journey by going to Mother 
Church in Jerusalem. 

Paul's weary listener at Troas may have fallen 
asleep during the long sermon; but Paul the untired 
Bishop of Christ's Church was ever wide awake to 
all opportunities for the "greater glory of God." He 
was home again in Jerusalem — wide awake in the 
midst of his enemies! 



CHAPTER XXIX 

The Midnight Ride on Horseback 

"Carthage must be destroyed!" was the daily 
prayer of Major Cato before the Roman Senate. The 
venerable senators regarded such words as prophetic; 
they held the genius of military strategy in high 
esteem; and they listened to his Jeremiad. In a 
very short time every Roman joined in the chorus, 
"Carthage must be destroyed!" and it was unani- 
mously proclaimed that the African city was to be 
halted in its prosperity. Rome was to be mistress 
of the world and would not tolerate Carthage as her 
competitor! When the Third Punic War was de- 
clared, the disciplinarian of the Roman Empire real- 
ized that he had accomplished his purpose in life. 
He had always been jealous of Carthage, and had 
aroused the jealousy of every Roman towards the 
flourishing city, directly opposite the mouth of the 
Tiber. The citizens of Carthage realized that Cato 
was their arch-enemy and that they had to meet a 
most bitter antagonist. They knew the power of 
Rome's military forces, and without defending them- 
selves against the advances of their enemy, they made 
all kinds of offers to the Roman generals in order 
that peace might be secured. However, the Romans 
did not care for peace. The battle-cry was "Carthage 
must be destroyed!" They would listen to no "peace 

183 



184 Paul, Hero and Saint 

overtures." The Carthaginians thus frustrated in all 
their attempts at making peace, called their citizens 
to defend their metropolis. The result of the Ro- 
man invasion is well known to every student of his- 
tory; the decree of the Senate was carried out to the 
very letter; truly, "Carthage was destroyed!" The 
city was captured and villainously destroyed, after 
which a fire was permitted to rage for seventeen days 
in order to complete the scene of military devastation 
to a mere heap of ashes. Over these ruins of a once 
famous city, the Roman plows were drawn, so that 
every vestige of the city's former glory might be lev- 
eled to the dust of the field; and upon the barren 
city's waste, the solemn curse of Rome was placed. 

"Paul must be destroyed!" was the daily lamenta- 
tion of not only one leader of Judaism, but of the en- 
tire Council and the Sanhedrin of Jerusalem. The 
self-same sentiment was spreading, throughout the 
whole country. Every synagogue's chief ruler was 
constantly on the lookout for the appearance of the 
world-famed "Apostle of the Gentiles," who had 
once been a Jewish Rabbi, but was now a Catholic 
Bishop. No compromises were to be made! Death 
was to be the penalty for his desertion from the 
"Faith of his Fathers," and the Catholic Church was 
to be crushed ! Not a single sign of glory was to be 
left remaining in this Church, for, like Carthage, it 
had presumed too much in competing with the glory 
of another power ! The curse of God was to blot the 
Catholic Church out of the very memory of all man- 
kind! 



The Midnight Ride on Horseback 185 

Paul and Doctor Luke entered Jerusalem in a man- 
ner unknown to the civil authorities; they visited St. 
James, the Bishop of Jerusalem, and made their re- 
port of the Third Missionary Journey to the Assem- 
bly of the Church. The collection, which had been 
taken up by all the churches in Macedonia and 
throughout Greece, was handed over to the Church 
authorities; and the Missionaries, in union with the 
Assembly, gave thanks and glory to God for the great 
things they had accomplished. It did not take very 
long, however, for the Jews to discover Paul's pres- 
ence in the city. One day as he was entering the 
Temple, a number of ruffians attacked him and 
aroused the whole city with the cry: "Men of Israel! 
help ! This is the man that opposeth the people and 
the law and the place." Shortly the cry of Major 
Cato was repeated with Paul named as the victim of 
popular wrath: "Paul must be destroyed! — "Paul 
must be destroyed!" 

The infuriated mob dragged the Apostle out of the 
Temple with the sole purpose of killing him, but 
fortunately before they could carry out their plans, 
they were obliged to pass the Fort of Antonia, in 
which a company of Roman soldiers under command 
of the Tribune Claudius Lysias was stationed. These 
soldiers, hearing the boisterous crowds surging 
through the streets, rushed under command of their 
Tribune, into the midst of the riotous scene and saved 
Paul from being clubbed to death. The steel bands 
were placed about Paul's wrists, and thus chained to 
his guards "the Prisoner of Jesus Christ" walked be- 



186 Paul, Hero and Saint 

fore the Tribune. The Jews were wild with excite- 
ment because their prey had once more escaped; 
and the fact that Roman soldiers had rescued Paul, 
was another reason for increasing their anger. They 
forgot their respect for the civil power, and in the 
fever heat of bitter regret and vehement hatred, they 
rushed toward the guards with their prisoner, crying 
out fanatically: "Kill him; Kill'liim!" The force 
of the surging crowd was too great for the two guards 
and their Tribune; whereupon, they lifted their 
prisoner upon their shoulders and quickly carried 
him away from the riotous scene in front of the 
Fortress. 

The Tribune was excited, but the "Prisoner of 
Jesus Christ" was calm. The crowds continued to 
yell: "Kill him! Kill him!" but Paul whispered 
something to the officer : "May I speak something to 
you?" The Tribune was surprised; he imagined his 
prisoner to be a certain Egyptian, who had led "forth 
into the desert four thousand men that were mur- 
derers." Turning to Paul, he asked: "Canst thou 
speak Greek?" 

The fact that Paul could speak Greek was a suffi- 
cient reason for permitting the prisoner to speak to 
the crowds in the Hebrew language. It made Paul 
realize that his knowledge of more than one language 
was not only serviceable in the commercial world, 
but it also most providentially served him as a Bishop 
of all nationalities, and came to his assistance in his 
dire necessity. A great silence fell upon the vast 
throng, as Paul, standing on the stairs, gave the Jews 



The Midnight Ride on Horseback 187 

a brief account of his whole life, especially, concern- 
ing his conversion to the Catholic Church. They all 
listened attentively, but when the prisoner told them, 
that he had been ordered by His Master to preach 
"Christ Crucified" to all men, but especially "to the 
Gentiles," they refused to listen any longer. The 
word "Gentile" was enough for the Jews. They ut- 
tered threats and curses. Lysias, unfortunately, did 
not know the Jewish language, and when he heard 
the outcry of Jews against Paul, he judged his pris- 
oner to be guilty of some crime. In order to make 
the captive confess his crime, a scourging was or- 
dered to be administered. Paul was dragged to the 
whipping-post; the whips were being made ready; 
and the prisoner was stripped of his clothing. In a 
few seconds, the cruel lashes would tear open the 
cross-bearing shoulders of the Apostle! The lictors 
awaited the order to bring down their uplifted 
scourges of cruelty! One — Two — "Come Holy 
Spirit" was the prayer of Paul, who lifted up his eyes 
to his executioners and calmly asked: "Is it lawful 
for you to scourge one that is a Roman and uncon- 
demned?" 

That one question inspired by God saved Paul! 
The soldiers were frightened and the Tribune Lysias 
feared the possibility of being brought to task, for 
having bound a Roman citizen who was uncon- 
demned. Lysias was a Roman citizen, but he had 
purchased his citizenship at a high price. Paul thor- 
oughly understood the Tribune had been naturalized, 
and did not wish to disparage the officer's noble citi- 



188 Paul, Hero and Saint 

zenship, but wishing to inform him that he had paid 
no price whatsoever, declared "but, I was born so." 
The chains were removed immediately and the bands 
fell from the prisoner's wrists; and, asking to have 
the matter properly adjusted, Paul was told that he 
would be given a chance to defend himself before the 
Jewish Council. No matter what the Jews thought 
of their prisoner, they had to admit that Paul was a 
clever debater, since he had turned the vast audience 
and the whole Council into confusion, by saying: "I 
am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the 
hope and the resurrection of the dead I am called in 
question." 

It was Paul, the converted Pharisee, who uttered 
these words in order to confound his enemies. The 
word "Resurrection" was sufficient to convert any 
gathering of Jews into a panic. The crowds imme- 
diately separated, and the old factions of the Jews 
began to argue with such vehemence, that the guards 
took their prisoner to the Fortress for fear that the 
mobs would tear him to pieces. While the crowds 
thus raved and plotted to take their victim either 
dead or alive from the prison, Jesus Himself appeared 
to Paul and consoled him: "Be constant! for as 
thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou 
bear witness also at Rome." It was "good news" for 
the lonely prisoner, who was now satisfied that he 
would soon visit the "Eternal City." 

However, while the day of freedom was swiftly ap- 
proaching, forty Jews in the city of Jerusalem united 
themselves by a solemn oath, that they would neither 



The Midnight Ride on Horseback 189 

eat nor drink, until they had killed Paul. The plan 
was simply this : The Council was to ask that Lysias 
bring forth Paul once more before them, in order 
that they might give him a more definite hearing. 
Upon Paul's arrival at the building, certain appointed 
men were to kill him in any way possible. The main 
thing in their minds was: "Paul must be de- 
stroyed!" The end would justify their means! 
That was the logic of bigotry. "Paul must be de- 
stroyed!" 

In absolute secrecy and silence, the Jewish Leaders 
and the forty would-be-murderers plotted and 
planned. However, Paul's nephew managed to learn 
of the plans for the killing of his uncle, and coming 
to the Fortress he obtained permission to enter the 
prisoner's cell. The news of all that had transpired 
within the last twenty-four hours was quietly dis- 
closed to Paul, who induced the centurion to intro- 
duce his nephew to the Tribune Lysias. Having been 
once introduced to Lysias, it took Paul's brave nephew 
but a few moments to privately confide to the officer 
all that he had heard, concerning the plot to kill his 
uncle. Strict silence was imposed upon the young 
man, and Lysias summoned his centurions before 
him. "Special Orders" were issued; their details 
were to be carried out under the silence of night. 

"Make ready 200 Soldiers to go as far as Csesarea, and 
70 Horsemen, and 200 Spearmen, for the third hour of 
the night; Provide beasts, that they may set Paul on and 
bring him safe to Felix the Governor. 

(Signed) "Claudius Lysias, Tribune." 



190 Paul, Hero and Saint 

The third hour of the night arrived, and, in com- 
pany with the mounted Roman soldiers, Paul, "the 
Prisoner of Jesus Christ," was riding a gallant 
charger toward Csesarea. The galloping troop made 
its way over the dry and dusty roads, and renewed 
in the heart of Paul the memories of his once- 
chivalrous ride toward Damascus. The care-free 
spirit of the soldiers, the eagerness of adventure, the 
anticipation of unseen dangers, the rhythmic beat of 
the horse-hoofs, the crack of the whip, the occasional 
clash of sword and spear, the gleam of the Roman 
helmet, the burnished armor in the pale moonlight, 
and the flying banners of Rome! yes! all this made 
Paul more than "a Prisoner of Jesus Christ.'* It 
made him a "Soldier of Christ." How beautiful the 
night! How sweet the pure air of freedom! It was 
quite a different atmosphere from his drear cell in 
the dungeon! Once more had the bird flown from 
its cage! Once more had Paul escaped the death so 
often planned for him ! 



CHAPTER XXX 
"I Appeal to Caesar" 

Paul's triumph over his enemies was most glo- 
rious! He was to be given a trial as the Jews de- 
manded, but before a Roman Governor; not in Jeru- 
salem, but in Csesarea; not in the Hebrew language, 
but in the Greek or Latin tongue; and his accusers 
would not have their prisoner brought to them, but 
they were obliged to travel seventy miles in order to 
be present at the trial. It was a grand triumph over 
his enemies, who had the burden of traveling and the 
pleasure of hiring an interpreter and a lawyer, both 
of whom expected some remuneration for their serv- 
ices. Paul entered his prison cell at Caesarea not as 
a prisoner, but as an obedient soldier going on garri- 
son duty with the knowledge that battlefields of glory 
awaited him. 

The trial finally commenced. A man by the name 
of Tertullus brought the charges against Paul. The 
accusations were that the prisoner had aroused the 
people to revolt and violence throughout the whole 
Empire, but principally at Ephesus, Philippi and at 
Jerusalem; the defendant had been an Overseer or 
Bishop of the Catholic Church; and lastly, this 
leader of the "Christians," as they were nicknamed, 
committed a great sin, by taking Gentiles into the 

191 



192 Paul, Hero and Saint 

Temple of Jerusalem. The Governor Felix listened 
to the pompous language of the lawyer, who pro- 
foundly bowed to him and often nattered the judges. 
When the complete list of crimes was filed and the 
prosecutor had finished his Ciceronian oration, Paul 
was asked to defend himself and answer the charges 
made against him. In a few minutes the prisoner 
proved to everybody that he was the best lawyer in 
the court-room. Tertullus and his politeness faded 
away before the powerful arguments of the lawyer 
Paul. The Governor immediately became an admirer 
of the prisoner and openly showed signs of kindness 
in the treatment of the case; and since he was some- 
what of a politician, knowing that Paul possessed 
some money, he surmised that he could induce him 
to secretly purchase his freedom. The wife of Felix, 
being a Jewess and somewhat anxious to hear Paul 
speak about the new religion, was also influential in 
securing an extraordinarily honest trial for the ac- 
cused. The result of the trial was, that the case was 
to be given another hearing at some later date. The 
Governor wanted some delay in order to negotiate a 
bribe with Paul but, to his disappointment, Paul pre- 
ferred to suffer imprisonment rather than gain his 
freedom dishonestly. 

While Paul languished in prison, a trial was held 
in the courts of Caesar in Rome. The politicians of 
Csesarea, becoming envious of their Governor, ap- 
pealed to Caesar in order to have him removed. Poor 
Felix had been caught in the very game that he at- 
tempted to play with Paul. A new Governor was 



"I Appeal to Ccesar" 193 

immediately sent to Caesarea. His name was Festus. 
Upon examining the charges against Paul, he decided 
that since the supposed crimes were not against Ro- 
man laws, but only infractions of the Jewish laws, 
he would settle the case, by personally taking it to 
Jerusalem for trial before Jewish judges and lawyers. 

Paul was wide awake when he heard such a de- 
cision. It was only a new trick that was about to 
be played upon him! Festus simply wanted to get 
rid of the case. The Jews had influenced Festus to 
send him to Jerusalem! However, just as shrewd 
as the Jews might be, in securing the prisoner in 
order to kill him, just so wily and alert was Paul to 
the dangers that threatened him. As he stood before 
the whole court, he cried aloud : "I stand at Caesar's 
judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. Neither 
against the law of the Jews nor against the Temple, 
nor against Caesar, have I offended in anything. To 
the Jews I have done no injury, as thou very well 
knowest. For if I have injured them, or have com- 
mitted anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die. 
But, if there be none of these things whereof they ac- 
cuse me, no man may deliver me to them." The 
climax was reached! The court officials listened at- 
tentively; the Governor himself bent forward to catch 
every word of the irresistible Paul; and the witnesses 
drew back with fear. Paul sought justice, and in a 
commanding and fearless voice cried aloud: "I ap- 
peal to Caesar!" 

It was sufficient! The prisoner knew the law as 
well as his accusers. The protecting hand of the 



194 Paul, Hero and Saint 

law would defend the prisoner, and it would permit 
him to appeal to the higher courts of Caesar for jus- 
tice! The Governor Festus conferred with the 
judges, and then said aloud: "Hast thou appealed to 
Caesar?" The prisoner assented, and the Governor 
solemnly declared: "To Caesar thou shalt go." It 
was just the thing that Paul wanted! It meant a 
voyage to Rome at the expense of the government! 

The prison at Caesarea was a very cold and dreary 
place. The prisoner of Christ loved to work, and the 
close confinement under a rigorous guard was wear- 
ing away the physical strength of its captive by idle- 
ness. An impetuous character, filled to overflowing 
with zeal and energy, would, under such solitary and 
restricted limitations, eventually break down. The 
once ruddy cheeks were pale for want of fresh air 
and sunlight; the once strong hand was weakened 
by its bands and chains of inactivity; the bright, sharp 
eye was dimmed by the dungeon's darkness; the 
powerful voice was weakened by the dampness and 
chills of the building; and Paul had contracted 
pleurisy and suffered severe colds. The physical 
man was weak, but the spiritual man was stronger! 
Two years of waiting in prison had developed the 
perfect spiritual man, who was master of himself. 
He had been in prison for two long years, but he knew 
that "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." 
His prison cell had been his paradise of liberty. 

Agrippa, the King of Phoenicia, came with his sis- 
ter, Bernice, to visit the Governor Festus, and, in the 
course of their conversation, the case of the lonely 



"/ Appeal to Ccesar" 195 

prisoner was discussed. The interested visitors ex- 
pressed a desire to see and hear Paul, and, accord- 
ingly the next day, the prisoner was brought into the 
court; the visitors came into the room with great 
pomp and ceremony; crowds of soldiers and people 
gathered in order to witness the trial; and Paul was 
told that a new trial was to be opened. It was like 
opening an old wound. He had told the truth so 
often, and surely no new statement was required! 
However, upon seeing the distinguished visitors, Paul 
thought the opportunity would be a good one to 
preach to the King and his royal sister, Bernice; 
and, accordingly, he narrated the history of his con- 
version and his subsequent persecution by the Jews. 
When he spoke of Jesus, he grew so eloquent that 
the Governor exclaimed : "Paul, thou art beside thy- 
self; much learning doth make thee mad." The an- 
swer came back at once: "I am not mad, most ex- 
cellent Festus, but I speak words of truth and sober- 
ness." Looking at the King on his throne, he real- 
ized that Agrippa and Bernice had heard of all these 
things from their knowledge of the Jewish people, 
and that like a great portion of the unbelieving world, 
they had shut their eyes to the "Light of the World" 
and preferred to remain in darkness. 

"Believest thou the Prophets, O King Agrippa? I 
know that thou believest!" was the pointed question 
and definite insinuation of the prisoner. "In a little 
thou persuadest me to become a Christian," came 
back the King's answer. It was just the thing de- 
sired by Paul. The seed of Christian Doctrine was 



196 Paul, Hero and Saint 

sown in the King's heart. God would take care of 
the harvest! Although the distinguished visitors did 
not become members of Paul's faith, nevertheless, 
they favorably declared that the accused was not 
worthy of chains and punishment, and that he might 
have been set at liberty, had he not "appealed to 
Csesar." In appealing to Caesar, Paul had followed 
the promptings of the Holy Spirit. He most wisely 
realized that it was the only safe means whereby he 
could go to Rome. "Forward! On to Rome!" 
That was Paul's only ambition! Although the Ro- 
man wheels of justice moved slowly, yet they were 
the safest vehicles of transportation, from the enmity 
of the Holy City to the friendship of the Eternal City. 



CHAPTER XXXI 

Shipwrecked ! 

Julius, the Centurion, stood before a large navi- 
gator's map in silent meditation. The shortest route 
to Rome had been determined upon. The vessel was 
from Adramyttium in Mysia, and its course was to 
be from Caesarea to Sidon, to Cyprus, to Myra, to 
Adramyttium. From the last named point, the party 
was to take a boat across the iEgean Sea to Neapolis 
in Macedonia; from this point, an overland journey 
would possibly be routed to Thessalonica, and thence, 
over the Egnatian Road to Dyrrachium, where a ves- 
sel could be obtained for Brindusium in Italy; and 
from Brundisium the journey would be direct to 
Rome. Such were the plans of the Centurion in 
charge of the large group of prisoners consigned to 
Rome. 

The gentle breezes wafted the vessel out of the 
port of Caesarea, and in a comparatively short time 
Sidon was reached, where Paul was granted permis- 
sion to visit his friends in the city. After the boat 
had been loaded, the voyage was resumed in the di- 
rection of the Island of Cyprus. The sweet mem- 
ories of his school days came back to Paul, as the 
vessel glided by the home of his former school com- 
panion and dearest friend. Barnabas and Saul! — 

197 



198 Paul, Hero and Saint 

once united as David and Jonathan in life, suddenly 
separated for the greater glory of God, and soon 
again to be united in martyrdom! Salamis was lost 
to Paul's tear-dimmed vision, but he knew that its 
Bishop was still actively propagating the Faith; he 
likewise knew that the Bishop's friend was no longer 
the easy-going Mark, but the Bishop of Alexandria. 
The mysteries of the Lord were indeed incomprehen- 
sible! Paul could not refrain from exclaiming: 

"What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou didst flee? 
And thou, O Jordan, that thou wast turned back?" 

The self-same Lord, Who had turned the "rocks 
into pools of w T ater, and the stony hill into fountains 
of water," had also been "the strength and refuge" 
of the weakling Mark, and had made him the "Great 
Highpriest, who in his days had pleased God and 
was found perfect and just." Mark had not lost his 
vocation to the Priesthood! No! the "Call of God" 
could not be silenced! He had been reconciled to his 
vocation, and was now endeavoring to make repara- 
tion for his past shortcomings. Barnabas had made 
Mark a good shepherd ! Jesus had made him a noble 
and zealous Bishop! 

It had not been previously planned that a different 
vessel should be taken at Myra in Lycia, but, when 
this port was reached, Julius determined to take ad- 
vantage of securing passage on a large boat from 
Alexandria bound for Italy. The dangers of the 
season and the frequent visitation of terrific storms 
were sufficient to induce the Centurion to make the 



Shipwrecked 199 

sudden change of his plans. Only one month re- 
mained until the navigation would again be at a 
standstill, and Julius figured with reasonable ac- 
curacy, that, with a good sailing vessel, Rome could 
be reached before the end of the month. Such a ves- 
sel was anchored at Myra. It was a rather large 
vessel with a good tonnage and provisions for sev- 
eral hundred passengers. An agreement was imme- 
diately made with the captain of the vessel, whereby 
the soldiers and their prisoners were transferred from 
the Adramyttium to the Alexandrian vessel. The 
total number of persons aboard, including Paul, Doc- 
tor Luke and the faithful servant Aristarchus, was 
two hundred and seventy-six. 

Instead of sailing along the coast of Asia Minor, a 
westward course was taken. The progress made was 
very little, on account of the strong northwest winds 
and the heavy cargo of wheat. No favorable breezes 
and no generous ocean currents helped to increase 
the boat's speed, but struggling along slowly against 
the Aetesian wind, it finally arrived at Cnidus. Here 
an adverse wind prevented the boat from touching 
shore, by drawing it in a southeastern direction 
toward Crete. After considerable effort on the part 
of the sailors, the ship was finally piloted into the 
peaceful bay of Fair Havens, which was protected 
by high mountains against the strong winds that 
were endeavoring to turn the ship out of its course. 
Fair Havens was the refuge for all mariners, who 
awaited the cessation of a storm or the return of 
favorable winds. Paul noticed that there was no let- 



200 Paul, Hero and Saint 

off to the adverse winds, and he also noted the im- 
patience of the captain, who knew quite well that no 
prudent pilot would hazard his vessel on the open 
sea under the existing adverse winds. However, the 
captain's anxiety to complete his voyage was very 
great, and thus he called a council to decide what 
was to be done. No one cared to spend the winter 
on the Island of Crete. No! Everybody was anx- 
ious to reach Italy. Paul was desirous of seeing 
Rome as soon as possible. The council was called 
and the various opinions were exchanged. Paul did 
not pose as an expert on navigation, neither did he 
pretend to be a weather prophet, but under the in- 
spiration of the Holy Ghost, he told the officers very 
plainly what was going to happen. "I foresee that 
the voyage beginneth to be with injury and much 
damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of 
our lives." 

The true condition of affairs was known to the 
Prisoner, but Julius lending his attention only to the 
captain and the pilot, took their word that it would 
be safe to venture out of the harbor. It had been 
calculated that within twenty-four hours Phenice 
would be reached in safety; and if conditions did not 
better themselves by that time, it was decided to 
spend the winter at Phenice. The whole question 
was settled. The majority had ruled. Paul's words 
amounted to nothing! The experienced sailors most 
assuredly would not take the advice of a preacher, 
who may have known how to go to heaven, but did 
not know, according to astronomy, "how the heavens 



Shipwrecked 201 

go!" The captain was confident that the next port 
could be reached in safety; the anchors were weighed 
and the boat slowly made its course westward. 

Everything moved along just as the sailors had ex- 
pected. Paul did not know anything about sailing! 
The idea of a militant preacher trying to teach a 
sailor! The gentle south winds were carrying the 
boat along as gracefully as a swan might glide over 
the silver-mirrored surface of a pond. It was per- 
fectly wonderful! Luck was with the pilot and the 
captain smiled at the bewildered soldiers, who had 
supported Paul's plea for a furlough at Fair Havens. 
But — suddenly! down from the mountains of Crete 
a tempestuous storm swept the whole sea into one 
churning and seething whirlpool. It was the Eura- 
quila from the east-northeast; it caught the ship in 
its death-like grip and lashed it round and round in 
the black waters of a whirlpool. The waves dashed 
higher and higher. The decks of the boat were 
washed over and over again, so that the helpless 
vessel seemed doomed to a watery grave or destruc- 
tion upon the rocks of the shore. 

For thirty-six miles the boat drifted along beyond 
all human control. As it neared the Island of 
Cauda, the winds ceased considerably and the sailors 
were thus enabled to bind the boat together, by pass- 
ing ropes and cables underneath the hull and over 
the decks, which assisted in some manner to prevent 
the leaking into the hold. However, despite all this 
work and the almost superhuman efforts of the 
sailors, the boat continued to leak. In a short time 



202 Paul, Hero and Saint 

the deck hands were forced to lighten the ship by 
throwing overboard all unnecessary things. This 
was, indeed, a most extreme measure, but on the 
third day conditions became worse, with the result 
that even the tackling of the boat was dismantled and 
cast into the sea. 

The storm grew worse. The sun was hidden by 
the low-hanging clouds during the day, and at night 
neither moon nor stars were to be seen. All hope 
of being saved was abandoned. Paul called the pas- 
sengers together and told them to be of good cheer, 
for he had a revelation from the Holy Ghost, that not 
a single soul of the two hundred and seventy-six per- 
sons would be lost. They could do nothing in re- 
sisting the storm, but one thing they could do, and 
that was — to pray. Paul gathered the terror- 
stricken passengers around him in prayer. After 
much fasting on the part of Paul, on the fourteenth 
night, the boat neared a strange country which the 
sailors did not recognize. In the darkness of the 
night, the sailors had planned to save themselves by 
means of a small lifeboat, but Paul seeing their 
treachery in abandoning the ship, cried out that all 
should remain aboard the boat, in order to keep it 
steady until the storm had abated. The sailors con- 
tinued with their secret plans, and awaited the op- 
portunity of saving themselves and abandoning their 
ship to the dangers of the waves. A group of men 
pretended to be tightening the ropes, but in reality 
were lowering the little lifeboat. The soldiers saw 
the trickery of the sailors, and taking their swords 



Shipwrecked 203 

cut the ropes of the lifeboat and sent it flying into 
the seething ocean. 

The whole night was a dismal one for everybody. 
The sailors cursed and the soldiers blasphemed. 
The passengers screamed and the prisoners groaned 
with fear. Paul prayed. Many of the passengers 
had fasted for a long time, and when morning came, 
Paul cheered his hopeful friends with the promise 
that no one, who remained on board the ship, would 
be lost. He begged them one and all to take some 
meat for their health's sake. With such assurances 
of cheerfulness even in the midst of adversity, Paul 
"taking bread, gave thanks to God in the sight of 
them all; and when he had broken it, he began to eat." 
In other words, Paul acted like a real Navy Chap- 
lain, by teaching the panic-stricken sailors to make 
the best of adversity, and "never to give up the ship!" 
He had induced everybody to eat, in order to retain 
their bodily strength, and most important of all, Paul 
taught them to say their oft-forgotten "grace before 
meals." Even in the midst of dangers Paul did not 
forget to thank God for his "daily bread." The 
sailors and soldiers accordingly took their Chaplain's 
advice by eating something, and as Doctor Luke ap- 
propriately remarked, "they all were of better cheer." 
In order to lighten the boat, the entire cargo of 
wheat was thrown overboard ; the anchors were aban- 
doned and the boat drifted toward the shore. Un- 
fortunately, the prow of the boat was soon buried 
in the sands, while the keel was battered and broken 
upon the rocks by the violence of the waves. The 



204 Paul, Hero and Saint 

imminent danger was of being crushed to death upon 
the sharp projecting rocks of the rugged coast. In 
order to prevent the prisoners from escaping, the sol- 
diers decided to kill them in preference to seeing 
them save their own lives from the perils of the sea. 
Julius, the Centurion, cared little or nothing for his 
prisoners, who were all Romeward bound, because 
they had appealed to the justice of Caesar; however, 
the "Prisoner of Jesus Christ" had become quite 
familiar with his guardian, and in consideration for 
the great personality of his little prisoner, Julius re- 
versed his decision in favor of allowing them to save 
themselves. Paul's life was not to be taken from 
him, just as he was about to go to Rome! No! 
Those prisoners, who could swim, were to jump into 
the sea and swim for the shore; the others, who 
could not swim, were to be carried to the shore on 
planks and other parts of the ship. 

Thus planned, the work of rescue was carried out. 
The wrecked ship's entire number of souls was saved! 
As Paul, the Sky-Pilot, had predicted, all came safe 
and sound to the shores of the Island of Malta. Two 
hundred and seventy-six souls had been saved. Paul 
was again the victor over death! He was indeed a 
wonderful Sky-Pilot, who, according to the science 
of astronomy, did not know "how the heavens go,'* 
but who, according to the science of Bethlehem's 
Guiding Star, knew "how to go to Heaven." 






CHAPTER XXXII 

Paul the Hero Enters Rome! 

The sudden appearance of strangers upon their 
shores, was no occasion for making the Maltese de- 
clare war upon Paul and his shipwrecked com- 
panions. No! The inhabitants of the Island of 
Malta may have been called "barbarians," but such 
a name did not signify that they were either savage 
or inhospitable. All hands were busily engaged in 
preparing a much needed meal for the two hundred 
and seventy-six hungry refugees. Paul and his fel- 
low-prisoners gathered wood for the fire, and kept 
the flames crackling and sending their sparks to the 
dark skies above. The soldiers and sailors continued 
to gather the shattered portions of their ship which 
was gradually being pounded to pieces upon the rough 
shores. Fuel was plentiful. Paul added a large 
quantity of wood to the flames and gathered together 
the loose twigs, branches and limbs of trees that 
were scattered over the ground. He had no sooner 
thrown the twigs into the fire than suddenly a large 
serpent darted from out the flames, and having coiled 
itself around the Prisoner's arm, sank its poisonous 
fangs into his flesh. Paul had made a mistake ! He 
had picked up a serpent of some kind, and supposing 

205 



206 Paul, Hero and Saint 

it to be a branch of a tree, he had thrown it into the 
fire. 

The poisonous snake clung to Paul's arm. The 
natives saw what had happened and immediately 
surmised that the vengeance of God had followed 
the prisoners, even though they had been saved most 
miraculously from the storm at sea. The supersti- 
tious natives concluded that most likely Paul had 
been a murderer, and thus the vengeance of God 
would not permit him to live. However, the Prisoner 
of Jesus Christ had met such serpents before and was 
perfectly calm and undisturbed. He simply shook it 
off into the fire and suffered no harm. He knew the 
promise of His Divine Leader, Who once said to His 
first Missionaries that they should fear nothing, be- 
cause they would suffer no harm from anything, 
even if they were to "take up serpents." The prom- 
ise of Jesus came true. Paul was preaching the Gos- 
per of Jesus to every creature and the serpent's pois- 
onous fangs could do him no harm. 

The companions of Paul stood nearby in horror. 
They expected their energetic friend to suddenly 
swell up and die with excruciating pain. Of course, 
this never happened. No! Paul was unharmed. 
The poor ignorant people stood in amazement before 
the Wonder-worker of Christ; within a few hours 
they openly declared that a "god" was standing in 
their midst; they had found another Achilles whose 
body was invulnerable! Yes! they even wished to 
adore Paul as a pagan god! So rapidly does the 
superstitious mind of man form its judgments! One 



Paul the Hero Enters Rome! 207 

day men are called murderers and the next day they 
are acclaimed as gods! With such condemnations 
and such flatteries Paul was thoroughly familiar, 
and he always practiced what he had once preached 
to the Galatians: "God forbid that I should glory, 
save in the Cross of Our Lord Jesus Christ; by Whom 
the world is crucified to me and I to the world." 

The "miracle of the serpent" was not unnoticed. 
One day a certain man named Publius, who owned 
much property on the Island of Malta, came to the 
Wonder-worker and begged him to accept the hospi- 
tality of his palace. The kind offer was accepted and 
Paul was entertained most courteously for three days 
by his charitable host. While enjoying the cordial 
companionship of his guest, Publius begged Paul to 
cure his fever-stricken father. The request could 
not be refused. Paul understood that "miracles were 
not to be multiplied," yet, in return for his host's 
kindness and also for the purpose of effecting a pos- 
sible conversion, he felt that it was proper and fitting 
to ask God to perform another miracle. The prayers 
of the Wonder-worker were heard and the good 
father arose from his bed of suffering and embraced 
his loving son. Paul had prayed earnestly; he had 
laid his hands upon the afflicted father; God had 
performed another miracle through His servant — 
Paul; the father of Publius was cured! 

While this curing of the aged father of Publius 
was indeed a miracle, it was different from the ordi- 
nary cure that a doctor could bring about in his 
patient. It was in reality, an accomplishment of 



208 Paul, Hero and Saint 

God Himself, brought about through the earnest 
prayers and undoubting faith of Paul. Moreover, it 
was also a symbol of the inexplicable powers of a 
certain wonderful Sacrament of the Catholic Church. 
It was a figure of the curing effects of the Sacrament 
of Extreme Unction, "which through the anointing 
and prayer of the priest, gives health and strength to 
the soul and sometimes to the body, when we are in 
danger of death from sickness." It was concerning 
the value of this Sacrament, that St. James the 
Bishop of Jerusalem, once wrote to all the Catholics 
of the world: "Is there any man sick amongst you? 
Let him bring in the priests of the Church and let 
them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the 
name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save 
the sick man; and the Lord shall raise him up; and 
if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him." 

The miracle, that the friends of Paul saw before 
their very eyes, is often seen to this very day. There 
is scarcely a Catholic Priest, who has not seen the 
beneficial results of the Sacrament of Extreme Unc- 
tion; and the good results of the same are not only 
attested to by Catholics, but also by many non-Cath- 
olic doctors and nurses in our large city hospitals. 
The whole world knows that every real Catholic's 
petition in danger of death is none other than "send 
for a Priest." The whole world knows that the 
Catholic Priest must answer your "Sick Call." Obe- 
dient to Christ, the Catholic Priest is humble enough 
to admit that the Grace of God works wonders, and 
that he himself is only a "servant" at the Table of 



Paul the Hero Enters Rome! 209 

the Lord, ever ready to minister unto the guests of 
His Divine Master's Sacramental Banquet. The 
follower of Christ is always a follower of Paul. His 
glory is always in the Cross of Jesus. "The bruised 
reed he shall not break; and the smoking flax he shall 
not extinguish." His delights are to be with the sor- 
rows of men to comfort the sick and the dying. An- 
other Paraclete ! Such a Priest was Paul ! 

After three months of anxiety, a boat bearing the 
insignia of Castor and Pollux, came from some dis- 
tant Egyptian port to the coast of Malta. The boat, 
according to pagan superstitions, was especially 
favored in being placed under the protection of Cas- 
tor and Pollux, who were the twin patrons and pro- 
tectors of all sailors. Whether these pagan deities 
exercised any protective influence over the boat or 
not, has never been ascertained; however, the voyage 
was made without any noticeable trouble, and Julius 
brought his prisoners safely ashore at the port of 
Puteoli. Through the courtesy of Julius, who ap- 
peared to be in no haste to go to Rome, Paul was per- 
mitted to tarry with his friends for seven days at 
this port. Messengers were sent to Rome, and the 
glad tidings of the coming of the "Apostle of the 
Gentiles" was heralded throughout the city. 

At last Paul was to see the Eternal City! At last 
he was to enter the Capital of the Roman Empire! 
He was soon to see the home of his Emperor, to 
whom he had recourse when he said: "I appeal to 
Caesar!" The Roman Catholics were prepared for 
the coming of their hero! Large crowds, having 



210 Paul, Hero and Saint 

heard of Paul's coming, went as far as the Appian 
Forum and the Three Taverns to meet the victor of 
so many battles. Paul was most naturally wearied 
from the long journey, but the joy of having his 
friends accompany him for a distance of forty miles 
was a real consolation to him. With his friends 
grouped around him, he could easily forget his 
bands and chains, and like a conquering hero he 
walked into the City of St. Peter — Immortal Rome ! 

The solemn procession of Roman soldiers, leading 
a prisoner through Rome, would most assuredly be 
quite different from the magnificence of pomp and 
ceremony that attended the entrance of an emperor 
or a victorious general. However, as the Prisoner 
of Jesus Christ walked steadily and militantly 
through the Capena Gate, he felt more honored than 
a Roman conqueror might feel, as he drove his pranc- 
ing white steeds in a chariot of gold amid the plaudits 
of the frenzied populace. Paul raised his eyes and 
beheld the glory of the Caesars. Having walked a 
short distance, the Circus Maximus appeared; a sud- 
den turn to the right between the Caelian and the 
Palatine Hills led the way to the Colosseum; from 
this point the so-called "Sacred Way" led the party 
to the Forum; and then, turning again to the right 
between the Viminal and the Quirinal Hills, the 
Praetorian Camp was reached. In a few moments 
the humble Prisoner of Jesus Christ had passed 
through the midst of the wealth and glory of the 
proud Emperor Nero. As he passed so quickly 
through the midst of Rome's glory, so, too, did he 



Paul the Hero Enters Rome! 211 

realize that the glory of Rome would some day pass 
away. The heart of Rome was cold! yes, cold as its 
monuments and palaces of marble! 

The fire of Christ's love raged in the breast of Paul; 
as the flames of a furnace strive to break forth from 
their narrow confines, so, too, did the love of Christ 
in Paul's heart strive to break forth and enkindle 
the whole face of the earth. Paul had come; he had 
seen; he would soon conquer! Constantine might 
at some later date pass beneath the Arch of Triumph 
in all his glory, but Paul the Conqueror passed be- 
neath the arch of Heaven's rainbow of Faith in 
humility! His first resting place was an apartment 
in the Praetorian Camp, where he was to await his 
trial "before the judgment seat of Caesar." However, 
as Livy the historian has so well told us, that it was 
"a crime to scourge a Roman; a sin to put him in 
prison uncondemned; and fratricide to put him to 
death," we can well understand why Paul, as a pris- 
oner, was permitted to live in his own house, where 
he "received all who came in unto him, preaching 
the kingdom of God and teaching those things which 
concern the Lord Jesus Christ." Whatever he did, 
he did "with confidence" and, with "no man for- 
bidding him," he enjoyed a great deal of freedom. 

One unpleasant thing Paul was obliged to submit to, 
and that was that a Roman soldier constantly accom- 
panied him and watched him very closely. Paul's 
courage was irresistible and his disposition always 
genial in facing adversity; he had a very happy way 
of adapting himself to circumstances without com- 



212 Paul, Hero and Saint 

plaint; and, in the perpetual surveillance of the Ro- 
man guard, he saw the generosity of the Roman Em- 
pire in affording him protection against his unseen 
enemies. Liberty was a prized and blessed thing! 
Protection amid so many dangers and intrigues was 
a greater blessing for the optimist Paul! Caesar was 
the protector of the Catholic Church and the guardian 
of the Apostle to the Gentiles! 



CHAPTER XXXIII 
"The Beast of Rome" 

Nero's sword and Paul's pen were both busily en- 
gaged. The Emperor's golden palace was a den for 
secret plots, and the humble lodging house of the 
Apostle was a sanctuary of divine secrets. The hand 
of Nero had unsheathed the sword of murder, while 
the hand of Paul wielded the pen of salvation. Nero 
was about to plunge his firebrand of hatred into the 
very heart of Catholicism, while Paul was pouring 
forth the meekness and humility of the Sacred Heart 
of Jesus. 

The Court of Appeals, to which the Prisoner of 
Jesus Christ had referred his case, decided that Paul 
was to be released. It was most pleasant news for 
one who had planned to enjoy the rights of a Roman 
citizen in the capital of the Empire. However pleas- 
ant the news may have been, nevertheless, the lure 
of the west aroused in Paul's heart the old love for 
the propagation of the Faith in unknown lands. 
Spain was regarded as "the confines of the west" of 
the Roman Empire, and to this extremity of the 
world the Apostle desired to go. During his deten- 
tion in Rome, he had accomplished a great deal by 
writing Letters to the various Churches, especially 
to the Hebrews, or converts from Judaism, in 
Palestine. In addition to the Letters to the Philip- 

213 



214 Paul, Hero and Saint 

pians, the Colossians and the Ephesians, an inter- 
esting Epistle was also sent to the rich nobleman, 
Philemon, concerning his runaway slave whom Paul 
had converted and baptized. Before going to Spain, 
two other great writings were to be finished under 
the direction and guidance of the "Censor of Books." 
They were the masterpieces of Doctor Luke, namely, 
"the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ," and "the 
Acts of the Apostles." The former work was to tell 
of Christ's royal Priesthood, and the later work was 
to narrate the history of the first apostolic sacrifices. 
With such a list of writings to their credit, Paul and 
Doctor Luke could well afford to feel satisfied that 
they had used their pens in the defence of Christ's 
Church, and that they had indelibly placed on his- 
tory's pages the biography of the Divine Leader, in 
conjunction with the Apostolic Story of Roman 
Battles and Catholic Victories! 

The journey to Spain was more than justified. 
The Catholics in Rome could provide for their own 
wants through their Priests. The congregations that 
attended Mass in the home of Aquila and Prisca, in 
the residence of Senator Pudens, their son, and in 
the oratory of Clement, were not small by any means. 
Quite to the contrary, they were growing larger and 
larger every day. These homes or oratories were 
called "Houses of the Lord," since they were dwelling 
places for the Sacramental Presence of Jesus, and 
not merely "meeting houses" for the people. Cer- 
tain writers tell us that the home of Senator Pudens 
was made the first Cathedral of Rome, from which 



"The Beast of Rome" 215 

St. Peter, as Bishop of Rome and Pope of the Cath- 
olic Church, ruled his faithful subjects. In addition 
to these "Houses of the Lord," there were many 
other buildings converted into Catholic churches in 
later years, amongst which we must not forget the 
spacious Roman Basilicas. 

Paul and Doctor Luke realized that Rome had 
existed before they arrived in the city, and they con- 
cluded that the city would continue its existence 
after they were dead and buried. Nobody was in- 
dispensable! The Roman Catholic Church always 
found somebody to step into the episcopal sandals of 
its departed shepherds. Jesus had made a promise 
that the Church would never fail, even though the 
most violent persecutions would threaten to destroy 
the Church. The city was perfectly safe in the hands 
of St. Peter, the Commander-in-Chief of Christ's 
Army. Paul knew the power of his superior; he 
knew his own subordinate zeal. The throne of the 
Fisherman would remain in Rome, while the bark 
of Paul steered its course westward! 

When Paul and Doctor Luke made their way into 
the heart of sunny Spain, the "Beast of Rome" broke 
loose from his regal lair and threatened to destroy 
the youthful Mother Church. "If the Tiber rises 
above its banks, if the Nile does not overflow, if the 
skies are not clear, if the earth quakes, if famine or 
pestilence come, up goes the cry 'The Christians to 
the lions !' " 

Nero had set fire to the city. His idea of making 
a "city beautiful" was most extravagant; to his mind 



216 Paul, Hero and Saint 

the best way of ridding the city of its old buildings 
and narrow streets, was to destroy them by fire. The 
fire raged for six days and seven nights. It proved 
such a pleasing and enjoyable spectacle to the Em- 
peror, that he played upon a musical instrument and 
sang most merrily "The Song of Burning Troy." 
The buildings fell into ruins and the poor people, who 
had lost their homes and possessions, were gathered 
together in the fields and on the hills. It was a sad 
sight, but most satisfactory to the Emperor! It was 
a golden opportunity for Nero to improve Rome, and 
thus make himself famous as its restorer and 
beautifier. 

The people, however, did not accept the destruc- 
tion of their property with the calmness and satisfac- 
tion that their ruler had anticipated. They were in- 
censed at such villainy and feared the yoke of heavier 
taxations. Nero was not slow to perceive the pub- 
lic discontent, and by a clever move on his part 
to regain the favor of the populace, he openly ac- 
cused the Catholics of having set fire to Rome. An 
edict was immediately issued whereby the Catholics 
were to be persecuted. Thousands of children, 
youvhs and maidens, men and women of all ages and 
positions in life, were tortured in the most violent 
manner until they actually died from their sufferings. 
Some were thrown into the arena to be mangled and 
crushed to pieces by the wild beasts, while others 
were nailed to crosses or thrown into fiery furnaces. 

In silence and with fortitude, the Catholics faced 
death as valiant soldiers of Christ. All that they 



"The Beast of Rome" 217 

could suffer, was to be suffered for their own sins 
and for the love of Jesus ! They knew that the Cath- 
olic Church could never be crushed and destroyed. 
The blood of the martyrs would only make the battle- 
fields more fertile for the sowing of the Word of God 
in another generation! They understood that their 
souls could never be destroyed by the sword of Nero; 
and they fully realized that as atheists in a future 
generation would destroy the churches which Cath- 
olic martyrs had built, so, too, were the slaves of 
Nero to crush their bodies as "Temples of the Holy 
Ghost" into the dust of nothingness. In the cool 
"resting place" of the grave their bruised and man- 
gled bodies were to rest in peace, as the Crucified 
Body of the Saviour once rested in the Sepulchre of 
Calvary's Garden. The "Temples of the Holy Ghost" 
could easily be destroyed by fire and sword, but the 
glory of the Cross and the palm of martyrdom would 
ever mark the sepulchral ruins of the Catholic Hero's 
sacrifice ! 

The Cemeteries of Rome offer sufficient proof for 
all ages as to the nature of the first Persecution; 
they also are sufficient testimony for the Catholic 
teaching with regard to Christian burial, as opposed 
to the pagan methods of cremation. As the Divine 
Saviour's Sacred Body was buried in the Holy Sep- 
ulchre, so have the bodies of all faithful Catholics 
been laid away at death to await the day of Resur- 
rection. The chief and oldest of these Cemeteries in 
Rome is the old "Resting Place," once owned by 
Senator Pudens, who named it after his mother, 



218 Paul, Hero and Saint 

Prisca. In this "Cemetery of Priscilla," as it is now 
termed, are buried the remains of Aquila and Prisca, 
the parents of Pudens and the dear friends of Paul, 
and the two daughters of Pudens, namely, Puden- 
tiana and Praxedes. 

The pagan citizens as well as the soldiers of Rome 
took up the Persecution in all its horrid and inhuman 
forms of torture. However, it was left to the mind 
of Nero to conceive the most unique form of death- 
dealing tortures. It consisted of this. Throughout 
the imperial gardens, the Catholics were nailed to 
crosses and chained or tied to posts, pillars and col- 
umns; they were then given the "tunic of the in- 
cendiaries," which was a garment made of light 
cloth soaked in pitch, resin and oil; and thus bound 
they were left to await the hour of midnight. When 
the pale moon came over the distant hills and cast its 
silver light over the sleeping city, Nero commanded 
the soldiers to begin their destructive work. The oil- 
covered victims were set aflame by the soldiers' 
torches; suddenly the seven hills appeared; the whole 
city was illuminated with the brightness of the noon- 
day sun. The "Temples of the Holy Ghost" were 
destroyed and slowly consumed by the raging fires 
of martyrdom, while their souls ascended to God in 
triumphant glory. Nero, in such moments of horror, 
was wildly intoxicated with joy, and dressed as a 
charioteer, he drove his team of fiery chariot horses 
around the arena of his suffering victims. Nero's 
bloody sword was unsheathed ! The lust of his pas- 
sions was unbridled ! 



"The Beast of Rome 9 219 

While this bloody Persecution was raging so vio- 
lently, St. Peter was writing a Letter on "Faith,. Hope 
and Charity" to the Catholics of the world. The 
Church of Rome was thrown "to the lions," but like 
Daniel of old, the first Pope of the Catholic Church 
saw the handwriting upon the pagan walls of the new 
Babylon, and exclaimed: "All flesh is as grass; and 
all the glory thereof as the flower of the grass. The 
grass is withered, and the flower thereof is fallen 
away." St. Peter plainly called Rome another 
Babylon; he knew that its gardens of pleasure would 
some day be destroyed and devastated; and he real- 
ized that the Catholic Church, after it had "suffered 
a little," would be perfected, confirmed and estab- 
lished in the Vatican Gardens of glory! 

Paul, ever active amid the scenes of devastation, 
had also written a Letter, in addition to making an 
extensive Missionary Journey to Spain and also an 
episcopal visitation to his eastern dioceses. The 
Letter was a heart to heart talk with the Bishop of 
Crete. Paul had visited Crete and Macedonia, and 
from the last named country in the city of Nicopolis, 
he wrote the famous Pastoral Letter to Titus in 
Crete. It was a grand exemplar for the future 
Bishops of the Catholic Church to follow — a confi- 
dential review of existing conditions, an assurance 
of interest in the little ones of Christ, and a bond of 
affection between Paul and his Shepherds. 

Paul had visited Troas, Ephesus, Miletus, Epirus 
and Corinth for the last time. He had surprised his 
many friends by his unexpected visit, which he as- 



220 Paul, Hero and Saint 

sured everybody was in reality his final farewell. 
In Crete he left Titus as Bishop; at Ephesus, Timothy 
was made chief Overseer; upon his arrival at 
Corinth, St. Peter was found; and from this city the 
two Apostles returned together to Rome. No sooner 
had Paul entered the city of Nero, than he was ar- 
rested on the charge of influencing the Catholics to 
burn Rome; and without much consideration was 
immediately thrown into the drear Mamertine Prison. 
St. Peter was the great comforter of the poor, and 
went about earnestly pleading with the Catholics to 
suffer all things for Jesus. 

Rome was to have many heroes and saints, but 
the first Pope was to be protected from the wrath of 
Nero in martyrdom! Such was the opinion of St. 
Peter's most intimate friends. The Commander-in- 
Chief was to withdraw from the battlefield! That 
was the advice of the Generals of Christ's Army. 
Reluctantly following the desires of his warriors, the 
Commander-in-Chief retreated from Rome under the 
shades of night. He had passed through the city's 
gates unnoticed and was following the Appian Way 
toward the Campagna. Suddenly a bright light ap- 
peared. The Roman highway was wreathed in the 
glory of Eternal Light. Jesus, the Divine Leader of 
Heaven's Armies, stood before St. Peter. The serv- 
ant recognized his Master! "Whither art Thou go- 
ing, my Lord?" was the pitiful question. The 
Saviour turned His eyes toward the Calvary of 
Martyrdom; the brilliancy of His glory departed; 
the clouded moment of stern duty cast its shadow 



"The Beast of Rome" 221 

over all the world; the broad Roman Road became 
the narrowed Way of the Cross. "Peter, I am going 
to Rome to be crucified again," was the Saviour's 
firm reply. Falling down upon the ground, burying 
his face in the dust of the road, St. Peter wept bit- 
terly; his words were none other than the oath-bound 
seal of his martyrdom: "Lord Jesus, my Lord and 
my God, I am going back to Rome!" Entering the 
city's gates his countersign was the "Sign of the 
Cross;" he openly confessed that he was "a follower 
of Christ" — a Roman Catholic; and regarded merely 
as "a stranger" whose crime was Catholicism, he was 
immediately arrested and thrown into the Mamertine 
Prison. His cell-mate was Paul the Hero! 

The greedy eyes of Nero gloated over his world- 
wide possessions, and his vision was strained to the 
farthest confines of the Empire, for the revenues 
which were to be paid into his treasury. He had be- 
come money-mad and pleasure-crazy! After many 
domestic troubles and political intrigues, he gath- 
ered together a band of minstrels and soldiers for a 
classical tour of Greece. Actor, poet, musician, 
charioteer, patron of all the arts and sciences, Nero 
became the hero of the hour! All Greece bowed 
down before him and opened its heart to his cults 
and orgies! The Grecian Circus had uncaged "The 
Beast of Rome!" 



CHAPTER XXXIV 
The Blood-Stained Sword of Victory 

While Nero frolicked in Greece the two Apostles 
languished in their Roman cell. The world domin- 
ion of Nero was decreasing as his enemies plotted 
more openly. Northern Gaul was about to revolt, 
Spain was to refuse allegiance to Rome, and the 
legions of Germany were to declare a republic. 
Nero's own guards were soon to abandon him, and 
he was to save himself from the tortures of his own 
cruel militarism, by committing suicide. Such was 
to be the sudden fall of Nero the Great ! Slowly but 
surely, time was grinding out the grist of defeat, and 
the wheels of justice were soon to bring "death to 
the tyrant!" 

The Apostles were brought before the Court of 
Justice in one of the Roman Basilicas. They had 
confessed that they were "Followers of Christ" and, 
therefore, the trial was merely their formal condem- 
nation. St. Peter was to be delivered to the wild 
beasts, to the burning stake or, possibly, he might be 
crucified. Paul was to be given the honors of Ro- 
man citizenship, by having his head cut off with the 
sword. 

The lower dungeon of the Mamertine Prison was 
extremely dark, and the chains that bound the two 

222 



The Blood-Stained Sword of Victory 223 

prisoners to the stone pillars were somewhat heavy. 
The only means of entering or leaving their dreary 
apartments was through an aperture in the ceiling 
which led to the so-called "upper room." It was a 
most deserving place for base criminals, but some- 
what unbearable for innocent Bishops. However, 
since the Catholics were regarded as "dogs" and the 
popular cry was a demand that they be thrown "to 
the lions," the two prisoners took conditions as they 
found them, and awaited the day, when their 
dungeon of earthly darkness was to be turned into a 
mansion of Eternal Light. In the chains that bound 
them together, they found a bond of love; and, in 
their physical suffering, they realized that they were 
only imitating in a small way the untold sufferings of 
their Saviour. 

The prison life of the condemned prisoners was 
not as lonely as we might expect it to have been. 
Although confined to a small cell, their vision was 
world-wide. Their solicitude for their converts and 
their Missions was intense; although no longer able 
to personally visit their Churches, yet, by their 
prayers and Letters, they could comfort the Cath- 
olics through the whole world. As an aged father 
knowing thai he was about to leave his children, St. 
Peter, as Father of all Catholics, wrote most 
touchingly concerning his approaching death, "being 
assured that the laying away of this my tabernacle 
is at hand, according as Our Lord Jesus Christ also 
hath signified to me." He remembered quite well 
the words of Jesus, "when thou shalt be old, thou 



224 Paul, Hero and Saint 

shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird 
thee, and lead thee whither thou wouldst not." His 
crucifixion was near at hand! 

Fully realizing that he also was soon to be put to 
death, Paul wrote an instructive Letter to Timothy, 
the Bishop of Ephesus, in which he so bravely speaks 
of his decapitation: "I am ready to be sacrificed; 
the time of my dissolution is at hand. I have fought 
the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept 
the Faith." His first Letter to Timothy, whom he 
loved as though he had been his own son, was full of 
sound advice to "keep that which is committed to thy 
trust, avoiding the profane novelties of words and 
the opposition of knowledge falsely so-called;" and, 
thus in his second Letter, Paul merely wished to 
emphasize the fact that he had practised what he 
preached to others. The Deposit of Faith was to 
remain the same through all ages, and it was to be 
explained but not modernized by the vicissitudes of 
science. By means of the Sacred Traditions and the 
Holy Scriptures, the Twelve Articles of the Creed 
were to be explained. Both these most helpful means 
of explaining Christian Doctrine were to be care- 
fully guarded and preserved; and Timothy was also 
advised to "study carefully to present thyself ap- 
proved unto God; a workman that needeth not to 
be ashamed; rightly handling the Word of Truth." 
It was the second and the last Pastoral Letter to 
Timothy, wherein he was instructed to be master 
both of the Holy Scriptures and the Sacred Tradi- 
tions; he was to reveal "the Discipline of the Secret," 



The Blood-Stained Sword of Victory 225 

only when necessity demanded it, for only "the 
initiated knew," and were to know the nature of the 
Sacraments and how they were to be administered. 
This "Secret" was to be kept under the strictest 
discipline, so that the persecutors of the Church might 
learn nothing concerning the Sacraments, and, 
therefore, never be able to ridicule or profane them. 

Such were the interests and solicitude of the im- 
prisoned Apostles, as they neared Death's door. In 
all probability, the "upper room" had been given to 
them for their letter- writing; during the hours in 
which visitors were permitted to enter the prison, 
Onesiphorus came to this room and gave Paul more 
than a little consolation, in openly acknowledging his 
friendship for him. In all likelihood, Doctor Luke 
also spoke to Paul in this room, and witnessed the 
writing of the second Letter to Timothy, wherein 
Paul asked for the cloak that he had left with Carpus 
at Troas, and, like a real book-lover, begged for "the 
Books, especially the Parchments." 

The imprisoned Apostles were not preaching from 
the housetops. No! In the silent retreat of their 
cold cell they dwelt in prayer, and with their pens 
sent forth to all the world the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 
The dark walls, heavy chains, cold stone floors and 
the constant surveillance of an armed guard never 
lessened the ardor of their love for their Crucified 
Lord; truly, their zeal for the greater glory of their 
Risen Saviour's Church was daily increasing! Their 
hearts were too great and noble to be fettered by iron 
chains, or to be encompassed by steel bars and stone 



226 Paul, Hero and Saint 

walls. Paul could rightly recall his words to the 
Romans : 

"Who then shall separate us from the love of Christ? 
Shall tribulation? or distress? or famine? or dan- 
ger? or persecution? or the sword? 
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be 
able to separate us from the Love of God, which is 
in Christ Jesus Our Lord?" 

Carrying his cross with bravery, the Vicar of 
Christ walked under guard to the Circus of Nero. In 
the centre of the arena, an obelisk from Heliopolis 
pointed its needle-like apex to the blue skies above, 
and showed the Martyr-Pope his "Home-sweet-Home" 
in Heaven. The hours of another Calvary's agony 
were near approaching. The last request of the 
condemned one was a noble act of humility. His 
executioners were petitioned to crucify him with his 
head turned toward the ground, because he did not 
deem himself worthy of the Crucifixion which his 
Divine Leader and Saviour had suffered. Crucified 
with his head turned toward the dust of the earth, 
the first Pope of the Catholic Church died with 
no nobler and more generous thoughts than he 
once expressed to his Master: "Lord, Thou know- 
est all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee!" 

Bearing in his heart the love of God and Country, 
ever realizing the injustices of his Nation, but obe- 
dient unto death, Paul, the Roman Citizen and Cath- 
olic Hero, dragged his chains along the Ardaean Road 
beyond the Ostian Gate to the Place of the Whole- 






The Blood-Stained Sword of Victory 227 

some Waters. The soldiers halted beneath the shade 
of a pine tree that pointed its evergreen top to the 
Prisoner's destiny — Heaven. The cloak, that had 
protected his body against the chills and dampness 
of the Mamertine Prison, was thrown aside, and his 
back was laid bare for the lictor's sharp rods. It was 
the last time he was to feel the pangs of life's disci- 
pline for Jesus. He bore his punishment as a sol- 
dier armored with the vesture of Eternal Life. 
Bending his knees for the last time, he knelt before 
the throne of Death; slowly he bent his bared neck 
to the rough headman's block. His executioner 
raised the sword on high. The steel of Damascus 
gleamed in the glare of the noon-day's sun and cleft 
through the air as a flash of lightning. Paul lisped 
his last prayer: 

"0 Death, where is thy sting? 
O Grave, where is thy victory? 
Thanks be to God, Who giveth us Victory 
Through Jesus Christ Our Lord." 

In the red-stained dust of the Roman Road, the 
body of the unconquerable Hero lay. The soul of 
St. Paul ascended to the Leader of Heaven's Vic- 
torious Armies! The Sword of Saul, became the 
Cross of Paul — the Blood-stained Sword of Victory! 



TO ARMS! 

Soldiers of Christ! 

You have read the story of Our Hero and Saint. 
You have followed Paul over land and sea; you have 
seen his battlefields of glory; and you have rejoiced 
in his noble victory! 

May the spirit of Paul guide you through all Life's 
battles, and may your only glory be in the Cross of 
Our Lord Jesus Christ. Live joyfully! Battle 
bravely! Suffer cheerfully! Die nobly! 

True to your God and faithful to your Country, a 
loyal Catholic and a noble American, may you ever 
follow Paul— Our Hero and Saint — to the Divine 
Leader of Heaven's Victorious Armies — Jesus! 



228 



CHRONOLOGY 

Birth 8 B. C. 

Conversion 34 A. D. 

Escape from Damascus 37 A. D. 

Sojourn at Tarsus 37 to 42 A. D. 

Visit to Jerusalem 43 to 44 A. D. 

First Missionary Journey 45 to 49 A. D. 

Council at Jerusalem 50 A. D. 

Second Missionary Journey 50 to 53 A. D. 

Third Missionary Journey 53 to 57 A. D. 

Captivity at Csesarea 57 to 59 A. D. 

Voyage to Rome 59 to 60 A. D. 

Captivity in Rome 60 to 62 A. D. 

Last Voyage 1 62 to 66 A. D. 

Martyrdom in Rome 66 or 67 A. D. 



229 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 

The Acts of the Apostles, Douay-Rheims Version. 
The Epistles of St. Paul, Douay-Rheims Version. 
Commentary — Acts of the Apostles, by Ghas. J. Callan, 

O.P. 
Notes on St. Paul — Letters, by Joseph Rickaby, S.J. 
La Theologia de St. Paul, by Ferdinand Prat, S.J. 
The Metaphors of St. Paul, by John S. Howson, D.D. 
St. Paul in Damascus and Arabia, by George Rawlinson, 

M.A. 
St. Paul — Traveler and Roman Citizen, by Sir William 

Ramsay. 
Paulus — der Volkerapostel, by Dr. Nicholas Heim. 
St. Paul and His Missions, by Abbe Constant Fouard. 
St. Paul in Athens, by J. R. Macduff, D.D. 
Last Years of St. Paul, by Abbe Constant Fouard. 
Voyage and Shipwreck of St. Paul, by James Smith, F.R.S. 
Footsteps of St. Paul in Rome, by S. Russel Forbes. 
Primitive Catholicism, by Msgr. Pierre Batiffol, Litt.D. 
The Story of the Catholic Church, by George Stebbing, 

C.SS.R. 
Handbook of Jerusalem, by Levin DeHamme, O.S.F. 
Greece and Palestine Itinerary, by F. A. DeChateaubriand. 
Roma, by Dr. Albert Kuhn, O.S.B. 
Antiquities of Rome, by Basil Kennett. 
Grecian and Jewish Antiquities, by Irving-Kerney. 
The Catholic Encyclopedia, K. of C. Edition. 



230 



INDEX 



Ammunition from the Arsenal of Truth 



Academy, 130. 
Academicians, 130. 
Achaia, 161, 175. 
Achai'cus, 139, 154, 162. 
Achilles, 206. 
Acolytes, 41. 

Acts of the Apostles, 214. 
Acre, 181. 
Adam and Eve, 54. 
Adoration of God, 150. 
Adramyttium in Mysia, 197. 
.ffigean Sea, 114, 197. 
Etesian Wind, 199. 
Africa, 1. 

Agape Banquet, 199. 
Agora, 131. 

Agrippa, King, 70, 194. 
Alexander the Great, 114. 
Alexandria, 2, 198. 
Altars, Catholic, 40, 176. 
Altars, Pagan, 132. 
Altar Society, 139. 
Ambassador of Christ, 161. 
America, 63. 
Amphipolis, 127. 
Amphitheatre, 73. 
Ananias, 52, 56. 
Angel of the Lord, 56, 70, 74. 
Angel, Guardian, 71. 
Anointed One, 23. 
Another Christ, 52, 162. 
Anti-Christ Spirit, 156. 
Antioch in Pisidia, 90, 92, 96. 
Antioch in Syria, 69, 70, 72, ,76, 
77, 97, 100, 105, 108, 141, 167. 
Antonia Fortress, 185. 
Appian Forum, 210. 
Appian Way, 220. 
Apollo, Pagan Deity, 129. 
Apollo the Orator, 147. 
Apollonia, 127. 



Apostles of Christ, 39, 40, 69. 

Apostle to the Gentiles, 52, 85. 

Apostles' Creed, 224. 

Apostolic Church, 163. 

Aquila, 136, 141, 147, 214, 218 

Arabian Desert, 60, 61. 

Arabian Steed, 11, 20. 

Arch of Triumph, 211. 

Ardsean Road, 226. 

Areopagus, 131. 

Aristarchus, 155, 156, 162, 199. 

Aristotle, 130. 

Asia, 78, 110, 111, 113, 147. 

Asia Minor, 2, 87, 151, 199. 

Assembly of Church, 141, 185. 

Assos, 180. 

Assyrian Princes, 20. 

Astrology, 144, 147. 

Astronomy, 204. 

Athens, 2, 12, 128, 162. 

Athletes, 10. 

Attalia, 97. 

Atlantic Ocean, 1. 

Augustus Caesar, 3. 



Babylon, 123. 

Babylon of Rome, 219. 

Baptism, Sacrament of, 53, 54, 

102, 104, 146. 
Baptism of John, 146. 
Barnabas, 9, 12, 14, 25, 66, 69, 

70, 71, 76, 81, 107, 167, 198. 
Barsabas, 105. 
Bascilicas, Roman, 215. 
Beauty of the Law, 27. 
Beast of Rome, 213. 
Benedict XV., 63. 
Berea, 128, 139. 
Bernice, 194. 
Bethlehem, 33. 
Bible, The Holy, 4, 23. 



231 



232 



Index 



Bishop or Overseer, 36, 39, 40, 

79, 103. 
Bishop of Alexandria, 198. 
Bishop of Crete, 219. 
Bishop of Cyprus, 198. 
Bishop of Ephesus, 220. 
Bishop of Jerusalem, 63, 104, 185, 

208. 
Bishop of Rome, 215. 
Bithynia, 78. 

Blessed Sacrament, 59, 149. 
Blessed Virgin Mary, 150. 
Black Hand, 158. 
Bolshevists, 156. 
Books, Bad, 144, 147. 
Books, Forbidden, 144. 
Books, Censor of, 144. 
Books, Index of Forbidden, 144. 
Bread of Life, 79, 80, 138, 177. 
Breaking of Bread, 59, 68, 92, 

116, 176. 
Brundisium, 197. 
Burial, Christian, 152, 217. 



Caelian Hill, 210. 

Caesar, Augustus, 3. 

Cffisar, Appeal to, 191, 196, 210. 

Caesars, Roman, 20, 64. 

Caesar's Judgment Seat, 193. 

Ctesarea, 16, 72, 73, 75, 141, 182, 

190, 191, 197. 
Caius, 139, 162. 

Candles in Church, 41, 149, 176 
Campania, 220. 
Cape Lectum, 180. 
Capena Gate, 210. 
Cappadocia, 78. 
Calvary, 35, 113. 
Carmel, Mount, 18, 182. 
Carpenter of Nazareth, 31, 35. 
Carpus, 225. 
Carthage, 183. 

Carthage must be destroyed, 183. 
Catacombs, 40, 46. 
Catholic Church, 36, 163. 
Catholic once, Catholic forever, 154 
Cathedral, 214. 
Catechumen, 4, 6. 
Catechism of Jewish Doctrine, 4, 

6, 8. 
Catechism of Christian Doctrine, 

53, 102. 



Cato, Major, 183. 

Castor and Pollux, 209. 

Cauda, Isle of, 201. 

Cedron, Brook of, 7, 8. 

Celibacy, 152. 

Cenchrae, 172. 

Centurion, Roman, 197. 

Censor of Books, 145. 

Cemeteries of Rome, 217. 

Ceremonies, 101, 102, 104, 168. 

Ceres, 129. 

Chariot Race, 11. 

Charity, Virtue of, 35. 

Charity of the Rich, 116. 

Charitable Institutions, 161. 

Chastity, Virtue of, 92, 173. 

Child Jesus, 24. 

Chios, 180. 

Chloe, 139. 

Choirs of Temple, 22. 

Choirs of Heaven, 22. 

Choirs, the Seven, 30. 

Christian Burial, 152, 217. 

Christian Doctrine, 52, 53, 78, 97, 

163, 166, 195. 
Christian Education, 92. 
Christians, 191. 
Christians to the Lions, 215. 
Chrism of Salvation, 146. 
Church Building, 160. 
Cicero, 192. 
Cilicia, 2, 3, 42, 108. 
Circumcision, 101. 
Circus Grecian, 10, 221. 
Circus of Nero, 226. 
Circus Maximus, 210. 
Claudius, 73, 185. 
Clement, 116. 
Clement, Oratory of, 214. 
Ccenacle of Jerusalem, 176. 
Collection for Church, 70, 154, 

161, 185. 
Colossa3, 162. 
Colossus, 181. 
Colosseum, 210. 
Colossians, Epistle to, 214. 
Claudius Lysias, 185, 187, 189. 
Cnidus, 2, 10, 16, 199. 
Commandments of God, 23, 171. 
Commander-in-Chief, The Pope, 



Communion, Holy, 
138. 



59, 68, 116, 



Index 



233 



Communion, Unworthy, 138, 177. 
Come Holy Spirit, 79. 
Coming of the Lord, 140. 
Confession, 177, 178. 
Confirmation, Sacrament of, 147. 
Consecration of Saul as Bishop, 

79. 
Constantine the Emperor, 211. 
Conference of the Laity, 163. 
Convents, 161. 
Converts, Jewish, 167. 
Converts, Gentile, 141. 
Converts, Greek, 167. 
Converts, Roman, 169, 172. 
Convert, First Woman, 115, 127. 
Council of Jerusalem, 103. 
Council of Athens, 131. 
Court of Justice, 156, 222. 
Court of Israel, 21. 
Court of Gentiles, 21. 
Court of Caesar at Rome, 213. 
Court of Appeals, 213. 
Cornelius, 77. 
Council of Jerusalem, 103, 105, 

110. 
Counsel, Gift of, 9. 
Corinth, 134, 139, 141, 151, 158, 

162, 170, 219. 
Corinthians, First Epistle to, 151, 

158. 
Corinthians, Second Epistle to, 

159, 161. 
Corinth, Gulf of, 171. 
Creator, God the Father, 5. 
Creed of Twelve Apostles, 224. 
Cremation, 217, 220. 
Crete, Island of, 199, 217, 219, 

220. 
Crispus, 137. 
Cross of Jesus, 74. 
Crucifixion of Jesus, 226. 
Crucifixion of St. Peter, 226. 
Crucify Him, 95. 
Cyprus, Island of, 1, 9, 12, 81, 82, 

108, 197. 
Cyrene, 162. 



D. S. M., 99. 

Dalmatia, 161. 

Damaris, 133. 

Damascus, steel swords of, 47, 227. 

Damascus, 51, 190. 



Daniel, 123, 219. 

David, 5, 6, 7, 8, 21, 22, 23. 

David and Jonathan, 9, 198. 

Deacon, 41, 42, 173. 

Deaconess, 172, 173. 

Dead, Secrets of, 144. 

Death to the Tyrant, 222. 

Demetrius, 154, 180. 

Demosthenes, 131. 

Demonology, 147. 

Deposit of Faith, 224. 

Derbe, 96, 109. 

Diana, 87, 153, 150, 154. 

Didache, 53. 

Dionysius the Areopagite, 133. 

Disciples of Jesus, 39. 

Disciples of Paul, 162. 

Discipline of the Secret, 224. 

Disc-throwing, 10. 

Dispute among Converts, 104, 167. 

Divine Leader, 31. 

Divine Personality of Christ, 177. 

Doctors, Jewish, 25, 32. 

Doctrine of Twelve Apostles, 53. 

Doctor Luke, 107. 

Dogmas, Catholic, 167. 

Dyes, purple, 115. 

Dyrrachium, 197. 



Ecclesiastical Synod, 163. 

Earthquake, 123. 

Easter, 175, 176. 

Egnatian Road, 161, 197. 

Egyptians, 17. 

Egyptian Monarchs, 20. 

Elymas the Magician, 83, 84. 

Epaphroditus, 116. 

Epicureans, 130. 

Epicurus, 130. 

Epirus, 219. 

Epistle to Romans, 170, 172, 174, 

175, 226. 
Epistle to Corinthians, First, 151, 

158. 
Epistle to Corinthians, Second, 

159, 161. 
Epistle to Galatians, 166, 168, 175. 
Epistle to Ephesians, 214. 
Epistle to Philippians, 214. 
Epistle to Colossians, 214. 
Epistle to TheaBalonians, First, 

140. 



234 



Index 



Epistle to Thessalonians, Second 

140. 
Epistle to Timothy, First, 224. 
Epistle to Timothy, Second, 224, 

225. 
Epistle to Titus, 219. 
Epistle to Philemon, 214. 
Epistle to Hebrews, 213. 
Epistle of St. Peter, 219, 223. 
Epistle of St. James, 208. 
Ephesus, 141, 142, 145, 162, 170, 

180, 191, 219, 220. 
Ephesians, Epistle to, 214. 
Erastus, 139, 151, 158, 162. 
Eternal City, 170, 174. 
Eternal Light, 177. 
Eunice, 109. 
Europe, 111, 114. 
Euraquila, 201. 
Eutychus, 178. 
Excommunicant, 151. 
Excommunication, 151. 
Ex Cathedra, 103. 
Exorcist, 41. 

Extension Society, 64, 72. 
Evil One, 145. 
Evil Spirit, 118. 
Evodia, 116. 
Extreme Unction, Sacrament of, 

208. 



Fair Havens, 199. 
Faith, Virtue, 35. 
Faith and Morals, 103. 
Faith of Our Fathers, 10, 184. 
Famine in Jerusalem, 68. 
Fasting and Prayers, 203. 
Father of the Faithful, 36. 
Fear of the Lord, Gift of, 9. 
Feed My Sheep, 63. 
Felix the Governor, 192. 
Festus the Governor, 193, 194. 
Forbidden Books, 145. 
Fortitude, Gift of, 9. 
Fortune-tellers, 117. 
Fortunatus, 139, 154, 162. 
Forum, Roman, 210. 
Furnace of Babylon, 123. 



Gaius, 155, 156, 162. 
Galatia, 78, 110, 165. 



Galatians, Epistle to, 166, 168, 

170, 217. 
Gallio, 137. 
Galilee, 48. 
Galilee, Sea of, 32. 
Gate, Golden, 21. 
Gate, Stephen's, 44. 
Gate, Capena, 210. 
Gamaliel, 9, 14, 22, 24, 27, 43, 

65. 
Gaul, 222. 

Generals of Christ's Army, 36. 
Gentiles, 3, 4, 19, 52, 72, 78, 101, 

169. 
Gentiles, Apostle to the, 85. 
Gethsemane, Garden of, 181. 
Germany, Legions of, 222. 
Gibraltar, Rock of, 1. 
Gibraltar, Strait of, 1. 
God, 5. 

Gods, Pagan, 4. 
Golden Gate, 21. 
Goliath, 7, 8. 
Good Shepherd, 5. 
Gospel of Jesus Christ, 62, 214. 
Grace of God, 106. 
Grace Before Meals, 203. 
Great Britain, Conqueror of, 73. 
Great Council of Jews, 46. 
Greece, 1, 3, 158, 174, 185, 221, 

222. 
Greek Catholics, 166. 
Greek Customs, 134. 
Greek Games, 11. 
Greek Language, 4, 8, 23, 112, 

172, 191. 
Greeks, 111. 
Guard, Prison, 124, 211 
Gulf of Corinth, 171. 
Guardian Angel, 71. 



Hand of God, 84. 

Hebrew Language 4, 23, 186, 191. 

Hebrews, Epistle to, 213. 

Helen and Paris, 111. 

Helicon, 171. 

Heliopolis, Obelisk of, 226. 

Herod the Great, 70, 71, 75. 

Hierarchy, Catholic, 172. 

High-Priests, Jewish, 21, 47. 

Hippodrome, 73. 

Historian, First Catholic, 112. 



Ind 



ex 



235 



Holy Ghost the Scnctifier, 78, 

146, 200. 
Holy Ghost the Sanctifier, 200. 
Holy Church, 163. 
Holy Name of Jesus, 52. 
Holy Orders, Sacrament of, 41. 
Holy Pictures, 143. 
Holy Spirit, 78, 146. 
Holy Week Services, 175. 
Homesickness of Mark, 88. 
Hope, Virtue of, 35. 
Hospitals, Catholic, 161, 173. 
House of God, 21, 29, 123. 
House of the Lord, 214. 
Human Nature of Christ, 177. 
Humility, Virtue of, 104. 



"I Appeal to Caesar," 191, 196, 

210. 
"I Believe," 40. 
Iconium, 92, 96. 
Idols, 143, 149. 
Idolatry, 143. 

Ignorance, Spirit of, 7, 8, 9. 
Illyria, 161. 

Index of Forbidden Books, 145. 
Infallibility of Pope, 103. 
Infirmities of Paul, 111. 
Institutions, Charitable, 173. 
Institutions of Higher Learning, 

173. 
Images, Veneration of, 143, 150. 
Immaculate Conception, 54. 
Israel, 33. 
Israelites, 169. 
Italy, 1, 3, 197. 



James, St., 64, 69, 104, 185, 208. 
Jailer of Philippi, 124. 
Jason, 127, 128, 162. 
Jerusalem, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 
19, 35, 68, 108, 141, 174, 191. 
Jerusalem, Famine of, 70. 
Jerusalem, Council of, 103. 
Jesus, The Child, 24. 
Jesus Christ, Divine Leader, 31. 
Jewish Church, 4, 23, 27. 
Jewish Laws, 193. 
Jewish Rulers, 20. 
Jewish Catholics, 166. 
Jews, 101. 



John, St., 70. 

John Mark, 70. 

John the Baptist, 81, 146. 

Jonathan and David, 9. 

Joseph, Guardian of Jesus, 24, 25. 

Joseph in Egypt, 5. 

Josephus, 134. 

Jordan River, 133, 198. 

Journey, First Missionary, 81—98. 

Journey, Second Missionary, 107- 

141. 
Journey, Third Missionary, 142- 

182. 
Juda, 33. 
Judea, 19. 

Judgment, The Last, 153. 
Judgment Seat of Ccesar, 193. 
Julius the Centurion, 197, 198, 

200. 
Justice, Virtue of, 162. 
Justice, Administration of, 120, 

121. 
Jupiter, 94, 129. 
Just One, 62. 
Justus, 162. 
Justus, Titus, 136. 



Kneeling at Prayer, 181. 
Knowledge, Gift of, 9. 



Laity, Conference of, 163. 

Ladies' Auxiliary, 139. 

Lamp of Sanctuary, 176. 

Last Judgment, 13, 153. 

Latin Language, 4, 23, 111, 172. 

Latin Prayers, 40, 151. 

Laws, Church, 104. 

Laws, Roman, 120, 124. 

Laws, Jewish, 120. 

Laws, Civil, 151. 

Law of God, 23. 

Last Supper, 39. 

Lebanon Mountains, 18. 

Lebanon, Cedars of, 35. 

Lector, 41. 

Lectum, Cape, 178. 

Levites, 21. 

Lesbos, Island of, 180. 

Light of the World, 41, 177, 195. 

Lictors, Roman, 121, 181. 

Little Child Shall Lead Them, 23. 



236 



Index 



Liturgy, Catholic, 175. 

Living Bread from Heaven, 175. 

Livy, 211. 

Lois, 109. 

Lord's Day, 175, 176, 179. 

Lord's Supper, 176. 

Lord's Coming, 140. 

Lucius, 162. 

Luke, Doctor and Saint, 107, 112, 

158, 161, 162, 176, 185, 199, 

214. 
Lyceum, 130. 
Lydia, 115, 127. 
Lysia, 198. 

Lysias, Claudius, 185, 187, 189. 
Lystra, 67, 92, 93, 95, 96, 109, 

110. 



Macedonia, 113, 114, 139, 151, 

158, 170, 175, 185, 197, 219. 
Magic, 83, 147. 
Magicians, 83. 
Mark, John, 70, 81, 87, 96, 107, 

108, 198. 
Mars Hill, 131. 
Martha, 173. 

Malta, Isle of, 204, 205, 207, 209. 
Mamertine Prison, 220, 227. 
Marriage, 80, 152. 
Marts, 142. 

Mary, Blessed Virgin, 25, 36. 
Mary, Mother of Mark, 70, 71, 76. 
Mary Magdalene, 173. 
Martyrdom of St. James, 70. 
Martyrdom of St. Peter, 226. 
Martyrdom of St. Paul, 227. 
Martyrdom of St. Stephen, 44. 
Martyrdom of Thecla, 92. 
Martyrdom in Nero's Gardens, 

218. 
Mass, Sacrifice of, 40, 41, 42, 59, 

78, 80, 97, 176, 179. 
Mass, Hearing of, 46. 
Mass, The First, 39, 59, 79. 
Magistrates, Roman, 120. 
Matrimony, Sacrament of, 152. 
Mediterranean Sea, 1, 2. 
Mediums of Spiritism, 145. 
Mercy, Virtue of, 162. 
Messages from the Dead, 144. 
Metampsychosis, 147. 
Messiah, 5, 23, 33, 42. 



Melchisedech, High-Priest, 20, 79. 

Mercury, 94, 129. 

Missions, Home, 158, 160. 

Missions, Foreign, 158, 160. 

Miracles of Christ, 31. 

Miracles of Paul, 94, 147, 207. 

Mitylene, 180. 

Miletus, 180, 181, 219. 

Mods, 155, 157. 

Morals, Faith and, 103. 

Mortal Sin, 54. 

Moses, 6, 17, 131. 

Mother of Jesus, 25. 

Mount Carmel, 18, 182. 

Mount Sion, 29, 123. 

Mount Calvary, 35, 113. 

Myra in Lycia, 197, 198. 

Mysia, 111, 197. 



Name, The Holy, 52. 

Nazareth, 31, 35. 

Neapolis in Macedonia, 114, 197. 

Necromancy, 147. 

Neptune, 129. 

Nero the Emperor, 210, 213, 220. 

Nicopolis, 219. 

Nickname, 191. 

Nile River, 215. 

Novices, 41. 



Obedience of Romans, 169. 

Obedience, Virtue of, 173. 

Onesiphorus, 225. 

One Faith, 163, 168, 171. 

Orders, Active, 173. 

Orders, Contemplative, 173. 

Orders, Religious, 172. 

Orders, Sacrament of Holy, 41. 

Ordination of Saul to Priesthood, 

79. 
Oriental Vices, 135. 
Orient, Kings of the, 34. 
Orphanages, 42, 161, 173. 
Ostiarius, 41. 

Overseers, Bishop, 79, 191. 
Ostian Gate, 226. 



Pagans, 3, 29. 
Palatine Hill, 210. 
Palestine, 3, 31, 134, 175. 



Index 



237 



Paraphilia, 97. 

Paris and Helen, 111. 

Parochial School, 8, 173. 

Parnassus, 170. 

Parchments, 225. 

Paphos, 82, 86, 87. 

Paschal Lamh, 175. 

Passion of Jesus, 175. 

Patara, 181. 

Patriot, 3, 10. 

Paulus, Sergius, 82, 84. 

Penance, 53, 162. 

Penance, Sacrament of, 177. 

Pentecost, 169. 

Pentelicus, Quarries of, 35. 

Peripatetics, 130. 

Persecution of Catholics, 219. 

Perge, 87, 97. 

Persis, 139. 

Pershing, General, 99. 

Peter, St., 36, 63, 66, 69, 70, 77, 

102, 103, 167, 215, 220. 
Pharisee, 8. 
Pharisees, 21, 101. 
Phenice, 200. 

Philemon, Epistle to, 214. 
Philip of Macedon, 114. 
Philippi, 114, 116, 127, 139, 160, 

175, 176, 191. 
Philippians, Epistle to, 214. 
Philosophy, 109, 131, 173. 
Philosophers, 130. 
Phoebe, 139, 172. 
Phoenicia, 181, 194. 
Phylacteries, 21. 
Phrygia, 110. 
Piety, Gift of, 9. 
Pictures, Holy, 143. 
Pirams, 129. 
Pisidia, 97. 
Plato, 130. 

Pleasure Lovers, 134. 
Pontius, 78. 

Pollux and Castor, 209. 
Pope, the First, 36. 
Pope, Infallibility of, 103. 
Poverty, 173. 
Prayer, 4, 181, 202. 
Prayer and Fasting, 203. 
Prayer, Kneeling at, 181. 
Prayers, Latin, 40. 
Praetorian Camp, 210. 
Praetorian Guard, 210. 



Praxedes, 218. 

President of U. S., 64. 

Priests, Catholic, 39, 40, 55, 97, 

153. 
Priesthood, Catholic, 41, 78, 153, 

159, 214. 
Priam, 111. 
Prisoners, 51. 

Prisca, 136, 141, 147, 214, 218. 
Priscilla, 218. 
Prison of Philippi, 121. 
Prison of Rome, 211, 221. 
Prison of Cassarea, 191. 
Prison of Jerusalem, 188. 
Prison of Mamertine, 221. 
Primacy of St. Peter, 36, 63, 103, 

167, 215, 220. 
Propagation of the Faith, 65. 
Prophecies, 23, 90. 
Prophets, 5. 
Proconsul, Roman, 156. 
Psalms of David, 5, 6, 12, 21, 22. 
Psalter, 5. 
Ptolemais, 181. 
Publius, 207. 
Puteoli, 209. 
Pudentiana, 218. 
Pudens, 214, 217. 
Punic War, 183. 
Q 

Quartus, 139, 162. 
Quirinal Hill, 210. 
Quo Vadis, 220. 

B 
Rabbi, Jewish, 22, 27, 29. 
Rabbis, School of, 24. 
Races, Foot, 10. 
Races, Chariot, 10, 11. 
Real Presence of Christ, 40, 138. 
Redeemer, Jesus Christ, 172. 
Redemption of All Mankind, 172. 
Reformatories, 161. 
Religious Orders, 172. 
Resurrection of Christ, 153, 175. 
Resurrection of the Dead, 132, 

153, 175, 188. 
Retreat, 78. 
Rhodes, Isle of, 181. 
Rich People, 116. 
Riots, Street, 120. 
Road, Ardsean, 226. 
Road, Appian, 220. 
Road, Damascus, 48. 



238 



Index 



Road, Egnatian, 197. 

"The Rock," St. Peter, 63. 

Rods, Beaten with, 120. 

Roman Bascilicas, 215, 222. 

Roman Cassars, 20. 

Roman Catholics, 169. 

Roman Citizen, 3, 9, 10, 112, 125, 

187, 213, 226. 
Roman Empire, 3, 72, 98, 120, 

173. 
Roman Laws, 124. 
Roman Magistrates, 120. 
Roman Senate, 183. 
Roman Soldiers, 36. 
Roman Sports, 11, 135. 
Rome, 3, 12, 64, 78, 80, 169, 170, 

174, 183, 194, 197. 
Rome, Burning of, 215. 
Rome, Another Babylon, 219. 
Romans, Epistle to, 170, 172, 174, 

175, 226. 

S 

Sabbath, 4, 175. 
Sacrament of Baptism, 53, 146. 
Sacrament of Confirmation, 147. 
Sacrament of Extreme Unction, 

208. 
Sacrament of Holy Eucharist, 177. 
Sacrament of Holy Orders, 41. 
Sacrament of Matrimony, 152. 
Sacrament of Penance, 177. 
Sacred Heart of Jesus, 80, 213. 
Sacred Way, 210. 
Sacrifice of the Mass, 40, 41, 42, 

59, 78, 80, 97, 176, 179. 
Sacrilege, 177. 
Sadducees, 21, 101. 
Saints, Veneration of, 143, 150. 
Salamis, 81, 82, 198. 
Samaria, 48. 
Samson, 6. 
Samothracia, 114. 
Sanctifier, Holy Ghost, 78, 146, 

200. 
Sanctuary Lamp, 177. 
Sanhedrin, 43, 46, 184. 
Saul the King, 5, 7. 
Saviour of the World, 23. 
Saul's Sister, 22. 
School, Parochial, 8, 173. 
School of Rabbis, 24. 
School, Sabbath, 4. 



Scourging, Punishment of, 121. 
Scriptures, Sacred, 23, 41, 175, 

224. 
Secret, Discipline of the, 225. 
Secundus, 162. 
Seleucia, 81. 
Seminary, 41, 61. 
Seminarians, 41, 61. 
Send for a Priest, 208. 
Sepulchre, Holy, 217. 
Sergius Paulus, 82, 84. 
Serpent, 206. 
Sharon, Roses of, 19. 
Shepherd, Chief, 36, 63. 
Shepherds, Bishop, 36, 39, 40, 79, 

103. 
Shipwreck, 201. 
Shot-putting, 10. 
Shrines, Catholic, 150. 
Sick Call, 97, 208. 
Sidon, 197. 
Sign of the Cross, 79. 
Silas, 105, 108, 110, 112, 115, 

119. 
Silvanus, 115. 

Silversmiths of Ephesus, 151. 
Sin, Original, 54. 
Sin, Actual, 54. 
Sin, Mortal, 54. 
Sin, Venial, 54. 
Singing God's Praises, 123. 
Sion, Altars of, 123. 
Sion, Mount, 29, 123. 
Sisters, 173. 
Slave-girl, 117. 
Socialists, 156. 
Sodom, Apple of, 134. 
Solomon, 18. 
Sopater, 162. 
Sorcerers, 144. 
Sosthenes, 138. 
Spain, 1, 172, 213, 214, 219. 
Spiritism, 144, 147. 
Spirits of the Dead, 144. 
Stars and Stripes, 99. 
Statues, Catholic, 143, 150. 
Statues, Pagan, 143. 
Stephen the Deacon, 42, 43, 44. 
Stephanas, 139, 154, 162. 
Stoa, 130. 
Stoics, 130. 

Stocks, Punishment in, 124. 
Storm at Sea, 201, 202. 



Index 



239 



Straight Street, 50. 

Strike of Silversmiths, 154. 

Sub-Deacon, 41. 

Sunday, 175. 

Superstition, 143. 

Synagogue, 169. 

Synod Ecclesiastical, 163. 

Syntache, 116. 

Syria, 47, 73, 108, 162, 175. 



Tabernacle of David, 29. 

Table of the Lord, 179, 209. 

Tacitus, 134. 

Tarsus, 2, 3, 9, 13, 16, 17, 27, 28, 

29, 31, 42, 66. 
Taurus, Mount, 2, 10, 17, 29, 87, 

92. 
Teachings of Jesus, 41, 94, 102. 
Temple of Diana, 150. 
Temple of the Holy Ghost, 146, 

217. 
Temple of Jerusalem, 18, 21, 22, 

25. 
Tent-Making, 10, 26, 27, 29. 
Tertius, 139, 162, 170, 172. 
Tertullus, 191, 192. 
Thasos, Bay of, 176. 
Theatre of Ephesus, 156. 
Thecla, 92. 
Theophilus, 56. 
Theology, 102, 109, 163, 173. 
Thessalonians, Epistles to, 140. 
Thessalonica, 127, 128, 139, 162, 

197. 
Three Taverns, 210. 
Thyatira, 115. 
Tiber River, 183, 215. 
Timothy, 95, 96, 109, 110, 112, 

151, 158, 162, 175, 220, 224. 
Timothy, Epistles to, 224, 225. 
Titus, 104, 158, 162, 219, 220. 
Titus, Epistle to, 219. 
Titus Justus, 136. 
Tradition, Catholic, 92, 112, 175, 

224. 
Trinity, Blessed, 147. 
Troas, 111, 112, 158, 175, 176, 

180, 182, 219, 225. 
Trojans, 111. 
Trophimus, 162. 
Troy, 111. 



Troy, Burning of, 216. 
Truth, 45. 
Tryphena, 139. 
Tryphosa, 139. 
Tunic of Incendaries, 218. 
Tychicus, 162. 
Tyrannus, 147. 
Tyre, 181. 



Understanding, Gift of, 9. 

Unknown God, 132. 

Upper Council of Athens, 131. 



"Vatican Gardens, 219. 

Veneration of Saints, 143, 150. 

Ventriloquist, 117. 

Venus, 87. 

Vessel of Election, 52. 

Vestments of Priest, 40. 

Vicar of Christ, 63. 

Victory, 227. 

Viminal Hill, 210. 

Virginity, 92. 

Visible Head of Church, 63, 72, 

103. 
Vocation, 40, 41, 152. 
Vocation of Mark, 76. 
Vocation of Saul, 79. 
Vocation of Timothy, 96. 
Voyage to Rome, 196, 209. 

W 

Way, Sacred, 210. 

Washington, 64. 

Whipping with Rods of Elm Wood, 

120. 
Wholesome Waters, Place of, 226. 
Will of God, 57, 62, 158. 
Wisdom, Gift of, 9. 
Witch-doctors, 144. 
Wonders or Miracles, 94, 147, 

207. 
Word of God, 78, 131. 
World War, 100. 
Wrestling, 10. 
Woman, First Convert, 115, 127. 



Zeno, 130. 

Zion's Altars, 123, 



in 




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